More than 350 letters for Crimean political prisoners gathered during the monthly campaign “Letters to the Free Crimea”

More than 350 letters for Crimean political prisoners were gathered during the monthly campaign "Letters to the Free Crimea". Now they are to be sent to the places of illegal detention of prisoners on the territory of Crimea and Russia.

Photo: Serhii Nechay

The initiative lasted from 27 April until 27 May. Over 350 paper letters and emails were received from mainland Ukraine, Poland, Sweden, and Thailand. Among the senders there were relatives, friends, non-indifferent strangers, children, and public figures.

Thus, the list of those who joined the initiative included Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People; Tamila Tasheva, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea; writers, civic activists and intellectuals such as Olha Herasymyuk, Myroslava Gongadze, Vitaly Portnikov, Oleksandra Koltsova, Irena Karpa, Myroslav Marynovych, Iryna Slavinska, and Andrii Kurkov.

The Letters to the Free Crimea were written during this year’s awarding ceremony of the George Gongadze Prize, Protasiv Yar Festival in memory of Roman Ratushnyi, the Memory and Renaissance event in the National M. Hryshko Botanical Garden, and in the NIĆ ("Thread") coffee house in Krakow, Poland.

Each letter is a reminder to the political prisoners that they are still remembered, and, on top of that, an important message to the prison authorities that a person cannot be maimed or killed because this will instantly go public. The full list of political prisoners can be found here: https://bit.ly/3LyNHbP

By the same link you will find the instructions and address at which we keep gathering letters even upon completion of the campaign. We urge you to get involved!

Co-organizers of the initiative: Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, PEN Ukraine and Human Rights Centre ZMINA

Oleksandra Koltsova

Andrii Kurkov

Photo: Serhii Nechay

Photo: Serhii Nechay