Journalist, human rights defender, and volunteer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Maksym Butkevych, recently freed from Russian captivity, has become the first Ukrainian to receive this award.
At the PACE session, the Václav Havel Prize was presented to the Ukrainian. The award ceremony took place at the opening of the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg. It was reported by Vechirniy Kyiv.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War shared photos and information about the event.
Maksym Butkevych dedicated the award to all Ukrainian prisoners and media workers operating under repression, emphasizing the importance of defending freedom of speech and human rights during wartime:
“Please, do not forget the Ukrainian prisoners: soldiers, civilians, and Ukrainian children illegally detained by Russia. Remember them,” Maksym Butkevych addressed the PACE delegates.
He stated that Ukraine is defending not only its territory but also the fundamental values of humanity.
As part of the session, events were also held with the participation of recently released journalists Vladyslav Yesypenko and Dmytro Khilyuk.
A representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War participated in the PACE session and political group meetings. He called for the immediate release of all Ukrainian citizens illegally held by Russia, including journalists, media workers, civilians, and prisoners of war.
The Ukrainian delegation, including Ukraine’s European Court of Human Rights judge Mykola Hnatovskyi, also visited the European Court of Human Rights.
The Coordination Headquarters urges the international community to intensify efforts to secure the release of all Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees and continues its work to bring every single one back home.
