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The Council of Europe connected Monday (September 29, 2025) awarded its 2025 rights prize to Ukrainian writer and rights activistic Maksym Butkevych, who was released past twelvemonth aft being captured by Russian forces.
Butkevych, co-founder of the autarkic Hromadske vigor presumption and ZMINA quality rights centre successful Kyiv, joined the Ukrainian service successful March 2022, past was detained successful June and convicted of warfare crimes by a tribunal successful Lugansk successful Russian-controlled eastbound Ukraine successful March 2023.
He was sentenced to a 13-year situation word connected charges of wounding 2 civilians portion firing an anti-tank grenade launcher successful the eastbound metropolis of Severodonetsk, but helium was released during an October 2024 captive exchange.
"This is nary coincidence," said Theodoros Rousopoulos, the caput of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which bestows the award.
"The past fewer months person proved peculiarly unsafe for journalists," helium said, adding that 171 journalists were successful detention successful Europe astatine the opening of the year, including astatine slightest 26 Ukrainians detained successful Russia oregon successful the territories occupied by Moscow successful Ukraine.
The grant is named aft the precocious Czech dissident, playwright and post-communist president Vaclav Havel.
Previous winners see the Venezuelan absorption fig Maria Corina Machado successful 2024 and Russian activistic Vladimir Kara-Murza successful 2022.
