Moscow Supreme Court upholds Hromadske Radio co-founder Maksym Butkevych's sentence
The Moscow Supreme Court upheld the sentence to Ukrainian human rights advocate, Hromadske Radio and ZMINA Human Rights Center co-founder, anti-fascist Maksym Butkevych, after reviewing the cassation appeal, Suspilne writes, citing Butkevych's defense lawyer Leonid Solovyov.
"The Supreme Court upheld Butkevych's sentence. Our position was quite simple: the case files contain no evidence that Butkevych committed a crime against civilians. Apart from his testimony, where he confessed to doing it. He says that he slandered himself because he was promised that if he signed the papers they give him, he would be swapped quickly. And also because he was threatened with torture. Unfortunately, today they turned a blind eye to this," he said.
The lawyer noted that Butkevych's defense would submit complaints to the Supreme Court presidium.
"We will try to ensure that he has everything he needs in the prison. We will hope for a quick swap. He feels well. He receives letters, albeit with delays. So he's not facing anything illegal in the prison anymore," said Solovyov.
According to Mediazona, Maksym Butkevych joined the video call meeting from the Luhansk PTDC-1.
Butkevich said that he had slandered himself. According to him, there is no other evidence in the case apart from his initial testimony. Butkevнch noted that the court made no attempt to understand why he suddenly changed his testimony after two months in captivity.
"Self-slander was motivated... On the one hand, I was told that if I agreed, I would be convicted and then shortly swapped for a convicted prisoner of war from the Russian army. As for other arguments, they explained to me that if I refuse, I would be subjected to various methods of physical influence. Some (methods, ed.) were demonstrated to me," Butkevych told the judges.
Journalist, soldier Maksym Butkevych in captivity: background
In June 2022, human rights activist, journalist, and co-founder of ZMINA human rights center and NGO "Hromadske Radio" Maksym Butkevych has been taken prisoner by the Russians near the captured Zolote and Hirske villages in Luhansk oblast. Russian propagandists announced the capture of Butkevych on June 24, publishing a video of his interrogation.
In September 2022, the Ministry of Defense of Russia confirmed holding human rights activist and Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier Maksym Butkevych as prisoner. He is currently in the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk oblast.
On March 10, 2023, the Investigative Committee of Russia announced that the "court" of ORDLO had convicted three Ukrainian POWs: Maksym Butkevych (13 years in prison), Viktor Pokhozey (8,5 years in prison), and Vladyslav Shel (18,5 years in prison).
They were found guilty "of abusing the civilian population and using prohibited methods in an armed conflict (Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation)."
On March 13, 2023, human rights advocates, media workers, volunteers and activists called for the release of Maksym Butkevych, a prisoner of war illegally convicted by the occupiers. The Ukrainian MFA has also called on the international community to condemn the sentence of the POW and human rights advocate Maksym Butkevych.
On August 22 the Moscow General Jurisdiction Court of Appeal No. 1 upheld the "ruling" in the case of human rights advocate, journalist and soldier, Maksym Butkevych, who was sentenced to 13 years in a high security by the Luhansk occupation court.
In February 2024, the project "Memorial. Support for Political Prisoners" declared several people political prisoners. The list included the human rights advocate, journalist, Hromadske Radio co-founder, soldier Maksym Butkevych, who was sentenced to 13 years in a high-security prison by the Russia-installed court in Luhansk.
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