The historical context of Ukrainian Political Prisoners’ Day.

This day was initiated in 1975 by Vyacheslav Chornovil as a form of protest against the brutal repressions of the Soviet regime. The date of January 12 was not chosen at random—it was on this day in 1972 that the so-called “general pogrom” began, when Soviet authorities carried out mass arrests of Ukrainian dissidents and representatives of the national-democratic movement.  

Victims of Soviet repression.

January 1972 was a tragic period for the Ukrainian Shistdesiatnyky: Soviet authorities arrested Vasyl Stus, Ivan Svitlychny, Vyacheslav Chornovil, Iryna Kalynets, and many other activists. Mass persecution swept across Ukraine—nearly a hundred people were detained, most of whom were sentenced to imprisonment in Russian camps.

The current context.

Since 2014, the Russian regime has been actively persecuting Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars for their open opposition to the Kremlin’s occupation and aggression. Among the well-known political prisoners are Oleg Sentsov, Roman Sushchenko, and Gennady Afanasyev. As of December 2022, over 140 Ukrainians are being illegally held in Russian prisons, and the total length of their sentences exceeds 1,300 years.

Let us honour the memory of the victims of repressions and support the modern heroes who are standing up to the occupying authorities. It is our duty to make every effort to secure the release of Ukrainian political prisoners and their return home.