Сегодня в Украине отмечают День политзаключенного.

This is reported by the publication Bukvy on Instagram.

Why the Day of Political Prisoners is Important

From January 12 to 14, 1972, the Soviet regime carried out one of the largest waves of repression against Ukrainian cultural figures. This period saw the persecution of opposition intellectuals and hundreds of arrests with very harsh sentences, "dedicated" to the 50th anniversary of the USSR's founding. The memory of the victims of Soviet policies began to be honored in 1975.

The most well-known story is that of the "arrested caroling." Youth from Kyiv and Lviv gathered in the apartment of Elena Antoniv, the ex-wife of Vyacheslav Chervonov, to learn carols and make masks to organize a Christmas play. On New Year’s Eve (to avoid irritating the authorities), they went caroling through the streets of Lviv.

Overall, around 45 people participated in the Christmas play: the Kalynets spouses, Vasyl Stus, artist Stefania Shabatura, educator and literary critic Volodymyr Ivanishin, Mar'yan Hatala, Yaroslav Lemik, Stepan Bedrilo, 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 now include 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 1126 court cases known for "discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" against residents of occupied Crimea.

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