The sensational release of Nadia Savchenko became a reason to celebrate for many people, but dozens of Ukrainians are still illegally detained in Russia and occupied Crimea. And today we must continue our fight for the return of other “Kremlin’s hostages.”
Sentsov, Kolchenko, Afanasiev, and Chyrnii were arrested two years ago in Simferopol by the Federal Security Service of Russia. The boys had been accused of terrorism and on May 23, 2014 they were illegally transferred from occupied Crimea to Moscow for investigation. In the end, Oleh Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years of strict regime in a penal colony; Oleksandr Kolchenko – to ten years of strict regime; Hennadii Afanasiev and Oleksii Chyrnii both to seven years of strict regime.
Now a range of actions is being discussed within the Crimean Hostages’ support group: The Solidarity Committee, Euromaidan SOS (the campaign “Let My People Go”), Center for Civil Liberties, and “No Borders” project. “The list of events is constantly updated. In Kyiv, the biggest event took place on May 28, in front of Zhovten cinema hall. The program included performances and speeches about the hostages’ lives, a forum theater, and a lecture,” said0 Maksym Butkevych, member of The Solidarity Committee. “We have already confirmed the solidarity actions in Berlin and New York. Activists from different cities of Ukraine are thinking about local events – the geography is wide, from Kharkiv to Lviv.”
The campaign of solidarity is open to all. The organizers urge everyone to conduct lectures, film screenings, charity auctions, exhibitions, and flashmobs – any measures that would remind people about the political prisoners. “The release of Nadia Savchenko became a celebration for us, and it was a sign of hope for the Crimean Four,” adds Butkevych. “We hope that our boys will follow Nadia in their return from prison.”
