35 Ukrainian Hostages of the Kremlin Finally Home - 86 Still Remain On September 7, a monumental prisoner exchange took place, as 35 Ukrainian hostages (including 11 political prisoners and 25 prisoners of war) were finally returned home. Those released included high profile hostages, including Oleh Sentsov. The full list, in addition to their stories, can be found here. The 24 Navy sailors who were seized as prisoners of war last year also were among those released. Let us use the excitement of this victory to continue advocating for the release of all those who remain in Russian detention!
What does the Ukraine-Russia Prisoner Swap Mean For the Future? The prisoner swap that took place this past weekend was long-awaited by Ukraine and by the rest of the Western world, as it was praised by European leaders and called "the first step to end the war" by President Zelenskyy. The exchange also brings up a lot of questions regarding where the conflict will progress from here, what can be expected for the Ukrainian political prisoners who remain in Russian prisons, what benefit this could bring the Kremlin, and how Ukrainian politics may be impacted. These questions and others were addressed in a Q&A between the Atlantic Council and UkraineAlert contributors.
Russia's Medical Torture of Ukrainian Political Prisoners Continues The past week has been full of major positive news as 35 Ukrainian hostages of the Kremlin were freed and returned home to their families.Throughout the excitement, though, it is important to remember that, for the rest of the prisoners held illegitimately in Russia, the injustices and torture continue. The past week also brought the serious deterioration of Volodymyr Dudka's health behind bars. Dudka's lawyer sounded the alarm when he visited his client last week, to discover that Dudka's blood pressure is dangerously fluctuating, among other problems which have gone untreated.
It will soon be three years that Dudka, along with two others arrested for "sabotage" in Crimea - despite the fact that there has not been a single incident of sabotage in the occupied peninsula.
Wish Remzi Memetov a Happy Birthday, and Send Letters to All Remaining Ukrainian Political Prisoners in Russia! Yesterday, Remzi Memetov met his 53rd birthday in Russian prison, the fourth birthday since his arrest in early 2016. Send him your best wishes for the year ahead (his address here)! Additional letter-writing instructions and addresses of political prisoners can be found here.
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This newsletter is a part of the project “Combating human rights violations arising from the armed conflict in Ukraine by supporting journalist investigations, national advocacy, and an international information campaign” which is supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands to Ukraine. Euromaidan Press’ work is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation.
