Today, Ukraine observes Political Prisoner Day.

This is reported by the publication Bukvy on Instagram.

Why the Day of Political Prisoners is Important

From January 12-14, 1972, the Soviet regime launched one of the largest waves of repression against Ukrainian cultural figures. During this period, there were pogroms against the opposition intelligentsia and hundreds of arrests, with very harsh sentences "dedicated" to the 50th anniversary of the USSR. The memory of the victims of Soviet policies began to be honored in 1975.

The most well-known story is that of the "arrested carolers." The youth of Kyiv and Lviv gathered in the apartment of the former wife of Vyacheslav Chornovil, Elena Antoniv, to learn carols and prepare masks to organize a Christmas play. On New Year's Eve (to avoid annoying the authorities), they went caroling through the streets of Lviv.

In total, about 45 people participated in the Christmas play: the Kalynets couple, Vasyl Stus, artist Stefania Shabatura, educator and literary critic Volodymyr Ivanishyn, Maryan Hatala, Yaroslav Lemik, Stepan Bedrylo, Lyubomyr Krysa, Raisa Moroz, Mykola Belous, and others. Within a few days, almost all participants in the caroling were arrested.

Since 2014, the Day of the Ukrainian Political Prisoner has gained new relevance, as the Russian regime unlawfully imprisons and tortures Ukrainian citizens who oppose the occupation and aggression of the Kremlin.

With the onset of the full-scale invasion, victims of Russian terror have included everyone who supports the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine. Among them are scholars, writers, activists, local government representatives, and residents who have spoken out against Putin's aggression.

It is worth noting that there are currently 1,126 judicial cases regarding "discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" against residents of occupied Crimea.

Additionally, in Simferopol, agents of Russian security forces conducted the detention of two employees of the Crimean Railway depot, and they were beaten.