Moscow court upholds 13-year prison sentence for Ukrainian human rights activist Butkevych

However, the Russian court ruled to count the actual time of detention of the Ukrainian in the Luhansk pre-trial detention center from August 19, 2022, from the moment of confirmation from the Russian Ministry of Defense that Butkevych was imprisoned.

Butkevych's lawyer noted that they would wait for the Ukrainian to be exchanged, and if he is not, they will file a cassation appeal.

During his last speech in court, Maksym Butkevych thanked everyone who cares about his fate and that of all Ukrainian prisoners of war.

"People who are either prisoners of war or already convicted are also constantly thinking not only about their relatives and friends, but also about everyone who is still at large, who is in Ukraine, and everyone hopes that the prisoners of war will be released," outletGraty quoted Butkevych as saying.

What does Russia accuse Butkevych of?

In March, a "court" in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts "sentenced" Maksym Butkevych to 13 years in a maximum security colony for allegedly firing at the entrance to a residential building in Sievierodonetsk and injuring two civilians.

Russia's Investigative Committee claims that Butkevych allegedly pleaded guilty. However, the man has been in Russian captivity since June 2022, and independent lawyers from both the Russian and Ukrainian sides do not have access to his case file.

The capture of Maksym Butkevych was reported on June 24, when the Kremlin media disseminated a video of him and other soldiers who were reportedly captured near Hirske in Luhansk Oblast. Russian propaganda also released a series of stories calling Butkevych a "propagandist," "Nazi," and "platoon commander of a punitive detachment."

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the entire trial was sham and was staged in Russia to legalize the political reprisals against Ukrainian citizens. The announced verdicts against Butkevych and other prisoners of war are illegal and null and void, the ministry emphasized.

What is known about Butkevych?

The Ukrainian human rights activist and journalist is a co-founder of Hromadske Radio (2013) and the ZMINA Human Rights Center. Previously, he worked for the BBC World Service and a number of national TV channels, was a guest lecturer at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy National University for several years, and was a member of the board of the Ukrainian chapter of Amnesty International and the public council at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Butkevych was also the coordinator and co-founder of the project "No Borders" aimed at helping asylum seekers, Ukrainian migrants, and countering hate speech.

In March 2022, Maksym Butkevych joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.