“Released from captivity, Butkevich said that he did not know about the exchange October 19, 04:19 Share: Maksym Butkevich after his release (Photo: hromadske screenshot) Released human rights activist and military man Maksym Butkevich shared that the news of his exchange came as a surprise to him – he learned about this is random during staging. He said this in the comments of hromadske. According to him, he has not yet fully realized that it happened, although he waited a long time for his return”, — write on: ua.news
Maksym Butkevich after dismissal (Photo: screenshot hromadske)
Maksym Butkevich, a released human rights defender and military man, shared that the news of his exchange came as a surprise to him — he learned about it by accident during staging.
He said this in a comment to hromadske.
According to him, he still did not fully realize what had happened, although he had been waiting for a long time to return home.
“No, I didn’t know, it was unexpected. Yesterday morning, after the inspection, they said that there would be a stage in half an hour, but they did not say where. Accordingly, I packed things, because I thought that I was being transported, and not for exchange. We found out about the exchange by chance already on the way. It was a double surprise,” said Butkevich.
He also noted that it is important for other imprisoned prisoners of war to learn that the exchange took place and that there is a possibility of returning to Ukraine.
“I hope this gives hope to others. I was released together with a colleague from a colony where more than 40 convicted prisoners of war are held on trumped-up charges. It is very important for them to know that this is possible and that the exchange is happening,” he said.
Butkevich also expressed his gratitude to everyone who wrote him letters of support and sent greetings.
“I was amazed at the level of support I received,” he concluded.
In March 2023 “courts” in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions “sentenced” Butkevich to 13 years in a strict regime colony for allegedly shelling the entrance of a residential building in Severodonetsk and injuring two civilians. They blame him “violation of the rules of war”.
Ukrainian journalists found out that on that day, June 4, 2022, he was not in Donbas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called “verdict” illegal and void.
On August 22, the first appellate court of general jurisdiction in Moscow left unchanged the decision of Russian terrorists to imprison a Ukrainian human rights defender.
Human rights defender and co-founder of Public Radio Maksym Butkevich left to defend Ukraine at the beginning of March 2022. He has been held captive by the Russians since at least June 24, 2022, as Russian propagandists released a video of his interrogation on that day. In August, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation admitted that it was holding Butkevich captive.