Public discussion dedicated to the fate of the political prisoners of the russian occupation forces in Crimea focused on the fate of the journalists illegally prosecuted in the temporarily occupied Crimea was held in Washington. Strong welcoming remarks of Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights on the US support to Ukraine and our efforts to liberate all political prisoners http://surl.li/hdmzt.

- Powerful video statements from Senator Robert Menendez, Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus calling russia to release all political prisoners, including journalists detained in temporarily occupied Crimea.

- Profound discussion moderated by famous David Ignatius with the participation of Ambassador Oksana Markarova, Jamie Fly, CEO of Radio Free Europe and special guest from Ukraine Kateryna Yesypenko, wife of Vlad Yesypenko, the journalist of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty illegally imprisoned by Russian occupation authorities in Crimea.

- Participants of the events agreed on the necessity to increase the pressure on the Russian federation to make it cease the violations of human rights in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, immediately release all political prisoners, and ensure full compliance with the obligations as an occupying power in accordance with international law.

It was underlined that only through Ukraine's victory and the liberation of the Crimean Peninsula the systematic oppression against the indigenous Crimean Tatar people would be brought to an end.

After Russia illegally occupied Crimea in 2014 a wave of political, religious, and cultural persecutions began. 

Thousands of Crimean Tatars and citizens of Crimea who opposed russian occupation had to leave their homes and move to mainland Ukraine. Those who stayed became subject to prosecution and detentions.

More than 180 citizens of Ukraine have been deprived by russia of their liberty due to politically and/or religiously motivated criminal prosecutions. 

14 of them are journalists. 

The total term of imprisonment of Crimean political prisoners is approaching 1300 years.

Journalists in Crimea experience interference in their professional activity by russian occupying authorities, face censorship, entry bans to Crimea, detention, unlawful transfer to penitentiary institutions across the russian federation, kidnapping and even death.

Ukrainian and international civil society organizations along with U.S. and Ukrainian officials and policymakers spare no efforts to draw attention to a dire human rights situation in Crimea and Russia’s suppression of a freedom of press - a core principle of democracy.

With this end, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry launched the initiative to appoint human rights mentors for key Crimean political prisoners among prominent international political and social actors. Two of those mentors represent the US – Francis Fukuyama (Osman Arifmemetov) and Bill Taylor (Remzi Bekirov). 

In February 2023, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez became an advocate for 14 Crimean journalists through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s Defending Freedoms Project http://surl.li/gvihl

Ukraine is grateful to all friends and partners who rendered support to the Crimean people amid the-ongoing russian occupation of the peninsula.

Full event is available https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I86AQ0AzuWI&feature=youtu.be