MAKSYM BUTKEVYCH

Ukrainian journalist, human rights activist and war veteran. He holds a degree in philosophy from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Sussex. He has advocated for human rights and social justice, helped refugees, protested against war, discrimination and racism, and supported freedom of speech and assembly. After Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and in June 2022 he was captured by Russian troops. A few months later, a Russian court sentenced him to 13 years in prison on trumped-up charges. Eventually, in October 2024, after spending 2 years and 4 months in Russian captivity, he was released from captivity. In 2025, Maksym became a co-founder of the charity foundation The Principle of Hope. In 2025, he was also awarded the Václav Havel Prize by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. A collection of his essays was published in French and German while he was in captivity.