CrimeaSOS: Ukrainian human rights activists call for the release of illegally convicted Maksym Butkevych

Ukrainian human rights defenders called for the release of Maksym Butkevych, a prisoner of war illegally convicted by the occupiers. This was stated in a joint statement published on March 10, said the Head of the Board of CrimeaSOS Oleksii Tilnenko.

“Ukrainian human rights defender and military serviceman Maksym Butkevych became another victim of the criminal russian regime. Like other Ukrainians who were illegally convicted by the occupiers, he has the right to be treated humanely and to be released from captivity as soon as possible”, —Oleksii Tilnenko said.

Ukrainian human rights defender, journalist and military serviceman Maksym Butkevych joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in March 2022. In June, he was captured in the area of temporarily occupied Zolote and Hirske in the Luhansk region. On March 10, the investigative committee of the russian federation announced the conviction of Butkevych on completely fabricated charges to 13 years in prison. Together with him, two other Ukrainian prisoners were sentenced – Viktor Pokhozei and Vladyslav Shel.

Maksym Butkevych was found guilty of the alleged cruel treatment of the civilian population and the use of prohibited methods in an armed conflict, attempted murder, as well as intentional damage to someone else’s property: allegedly, on June 4, 2022, he fired a grenade launcher at the entrance of a residential building in Severodonetsk, Luhansk region. No evidence of the “crime” is known so far.

Ukrainian human rights defenders demand that russia allows international observers to prisoners of war and civilian hostages to monitor conditions of detention and prevent their ill-treatment, as well as to ensure access to a fair trial with the involvement of an independent legal representative for the detained Ukrainians.

Photo: Radio.Svoboda