Patrons at Kyiv's Sens bookstore write 214 'Letters to a Free Crimea' for political prisoners in one week
Photo: Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
Between February 20 and 27, patrons at Kyiv's "Sens on Khreshchatyk" bookstore penned 214 letters supporting Crimean political prisoners. This effort is part of the "Letters to a Free Crimea" initiative.
The Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea reported this.
"From February 20 to 27, the "Sens" bookstore hosted the "Letters to a Free Crimea" initiative, gathering 214 letters of support for individuals whose acts of resistance, pro-Ukrainian stances, and efforts to preserve their identities are being unjustly punished by occupation authorities. These individuals are recognized as Crimean political prisoners within Ukrainian discourse," the message says.
Photo: Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
In early February, it was noted that the campaign would continue until the release of the last Crimean political prisoner and the de-occupation of Crimea.
Previously, the Permanent Representative of the President in Crimea, Olha Kuryshko, told Ukrinform that campaigns such as "Letters to a Free Crimea" allow anyone who wants to:
- write a letter to Crimean political prisoners,
- support them,
- show that they are remembered and waiting for their release.
Photo: Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
In 2024, 1,800 letters were written and sent to political prisoners.
"Crimea remains in the heart of every Crimean political prisoner, even if he is currently in the northernmost point of Russia. Despite the bars that hold back the bodies of Crimean political prisoners, their souls and hearts are free. That is why these letters will go to a free Crimea, to each of the Crimean political prisoners," the department emphasized.
Photo: Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
For reference:
"Letters to a Free Crimea" is an initiative of the Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukrainian PEN and the ZMINA Human Rights Center, which were joined by the NGO "CrimeaSOS", the NGO "Crimea Process" and the media initiative "Crimea Daily".
The initiative was launched on April 27, 2023. Its main goal is to support political prisoners and their families, to inform the Ukrainian and international community about the stories of political prisoners, and to send a signal to the occupation administrations that every illegally imprisoned Ukrainian remains in the spotlight of the state and civil society.
As of March 3, the Russian occupation administration illegally detains 221 people, including 134 representatives of the Crimean Tatar people, on charges of fabricated crimes such as terrorism, extremism, and treason.
It is worth mentioning that in 2014, the Russian occupation of the Crimean peninsula took place, after which more than 5,000 human rights violations were recorded there, most of which concerned Crimean Tatars.
In total, 9,006 human rights violations were recorded in the temporarily occupied Crimea in 2017-2023, of which almost 6.4 thousand were against representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people.
In addition, political prisoners from the temporarily occupied Simferopol, Asan Yanikov, sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Rustem Seythalilov, sentenced to 14 years in jail, were transferred from the Novocherkassk pre-trial detention center to Russian prisons.
