Berlinale calls for Maksym Butkevych’s release from Russian captivity

At the Berlin International Film Festival, representatives of the Ukrainian film industry have called on the international cultural community to demand the release of Maksym Butkevych, human rights activist and journalist, from Russian captivity. Source: this was reported on social networks, the DocuDays UA Film Festival, which was often hosted and moderated by Butkevych. Participants of the action came to the Berlinale Palace in identical T-shirts with the image of the Ukrainian human rights defender, as well as the inscription #freeMaksymButkevych.

"In early March 2022, Maksym Butkevych suspended his Refugee Assistance, journalistic, humanitarian, educational and human rights activities, and joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the summer, during military operations near the captured settlements of Zolote and Hirske, Luhansk Oblast, Maksym was captured by Russians. Since June 2022, we have not known anything about the whereabouts of our friend and colleague...", DocuDays UA wrote.

The founder of Hromadske Radio, journalist and human rights activist, Maksym Butkevych joined the ranks of the defenders of Ukraine after the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early March 2022.

Butkevych was captured by Russia in the area of the settlements of Zolote and Hirske in the Luhansk Oblast, and it became known in July 2022. Then, it was reported that Butkevych had been held captive since at least 24 June, as on that day, Russian propagandists published a video of him being interrogated. In mid-July, public figures, media professionals, and politicians supported a flash mob calling for the immediate release of Butkevych on social networks.

They accompanied their posts with the hashtag #FreeMaksymButkevych. Jerzy Pomianowski, executive director of the European Foundation for Democracy (EED), and Jan Lipavsky, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, also joined the flash mob.

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In August 2022, the Russian Defence Ministry admitted that it has been holding Butkevych captive for two months.

They confirmed that the Ukrainian human rights defender was on the territory of the self-proclaimed "LPR" (Luhansk People's Republic).

Mariia Kabatsii journalist UP.Kultura

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