The First Court of Appeals of Common Jurisdiction in Moscow has rejected an appeal filed by well-known Ukrainian human rights defender Maksym Butkevych against a 13-year prison sentence he was handed by Russia-imposed authorities in Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in March.
Butkevych participated in the hearing on August 22 via a video link from a detention center in Russian-controlled Luhansk.
Official representatives from the British, German, and French embassies, as well as prominent Russian human rights defenders Oleg Orlov and Svetlana Gannushkina, were also present at the hearing to support Butkevych.
Butkevych was sentenced for two alleged attempted murders, premeditated damage of others' property, cruelty against civilians, and using banned methods in an armed conflict. He and his supporters have rejected the charges.
In addition to his human rights activities, Butkevych has been known for his journalistic activities and is a well-known public figure in Ukraine.
He is a co-founder of the Hromadske radio (Public radio) station that has broadcast a series of special programs for residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Just days after Russia launched its ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February last year, Butkevych joined Ukraine's armed forces.
In July 2022, his mother recognized him on a video showing Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia's invading forces near the towns of Zolote and Hirne in the Luhansk region.
She says she has had no contact with her son since his capture. She has been trying to free him from Russian captivity in prisoner swaps that have taken place sporadically since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Butkevych was known for raising awareness of the problems faced by refugees even before the Russian invasion.
He came to prominence for his calls to amend Ukraine's migration regulations for Belarusian nationals who fled en masse to Ukraine following the ongoing crackdown on dissent that started after the disputed presidential election in Belarus in August 2020.