Today is #MaksymButkevych’s birthday, his third one in Russian captivity.

An antifascist, anarchist and human rights organizer, he was captured as a combatant defending his country from military invasion. His whereabouts were unknown up until 10 month later when a court in occupied Luhansk sentenced him to 13 years on fabricated charges. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/ukraine-maksym-butkevych-conviction-severodonetsk-luhansk/

Maksym is doing his time in a penitentiary—once a Ukrainian colony—in Krasnyi Luch, Luhanschina. He reads a lot and tries not to loose his French skills. I hope to see him out of prison as soon as possible—as well as all other captured Ukrainians, both combatants and non-combatans.

His story is widely known in Ukraine, but not so much in left or anarchist spaces outside the region. You can express support to him by including his story in the programme of your local event on the occasion of this year’s International Week of Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners in August. Also, comrades in Russian jurisdiction (like me) can send your kind words by letter.

Until all are free!

#AnarchistPrisoners #PrisonersOfRussia

‘No truth’ in conviction of Ukrainian human rights activist

Colleagues of Maksym Butkevych say he wasn’t even in Russian-occupied Luhansk at the time of his supposed crime

openDemocracy

Maksym’s old friend Antti Rautiainen of Autonomous Action talks about him in more detail

https://avtonom.org/en/author_columns/max

For Max

A veteran of the anarchist and anti-fascist movement of Ukraine, Maxim Butkevich, has been a prisoner of war of the Russian army for two years. Anarchists could write more about him, and my text about him also comes late, but there is little that can be done to help him. Listen in Spotify. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Max, who had the rank of reserve lieutenant, volunteered for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He participated in the liberation of the Kiev region from the occupiers , but in June 2022 he was captured in Eastern Ukraine. He was surrounded, and, deciding to surrender, saved the life of his company.

Автономное Действие

lol the avtonom-dot-org domain’s just got expired   

here’s the video version of the same material https://youtube.com/watch?v=KJBNbeSq2bM

For Max

YouTube

‼️ Maksym Butkevych is out!

Ukrainian media ZMINA: Maksym’s father, Olexander confirms that Maksym has been exchanged today https://zmina.info/news/rosiya-zvilnyla-spivzasnovnyka-czentru-prav-lyudyny-zmina-maksyma-butkevycha/

Ukrainian antifascist and journalist was captured in June 2022 by Russian forces as a combatant, and spent 28 months in captivity, first, at a detention center in Luhansk, then, after unlawful trail—at a high security penal labor colony in Luhanschyna.

#Ukraine #PrisonersOfRussia

Росія звільнила співзасновника Центру прав людини ZMINA Максима Буткевича ➜ ZMINA

Росія звільнила співзасновника Центру прав людини ZMINA Максима Буткевича Російські ЗМІ повідомляються, що сторони обмін відбувався у форматі 95 на 95 військовополонених. Посередницьку допомогу в обміні надали ОАЕ: Онлайн видання ZMINA ✍

ZMINA
@artem if you don't have a Russian bank card, you can use https://prisonmail.online (the letter itself needs to be in Russian though)
Электронное письмо заключенным в учреждения ФСИН России