Russia's Supreme Court on March 13 rejected an appeal filed by well-known Ukrainian human rights defender Maksym Butkevych against a 13-year prison term he was handed by a Russian-installed court in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region after making a confession he says was preceded by torture.
Butkevych was sentenced for allegedly attempting two murders, along with premeditated damage of others' property, cruelty against civilians, and using banned methods in an armed conflict.
The 46-year-old, who participated in the hearing via video link from a detention center in Russian-occupied Luhansk, said he initially agreed to confess to the charges after being tortured and promised that an admission of guilt would allow for him to be exchanged for Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine.
That didn't happen and during the trial he pleaded not guilty and continues to maintain his innocence.
In addition to his human rights activities, Butkevych is known for his journalistic activities and is a well-known public figure in Ukraine as a co-founder of Hromadske radio, which 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 2022, Butkevych enlisted in Ukraine's armed forces.
In July 2022, his mother recognized him in a video showing Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russian 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 a crackdown on dissent that started after a disputed presidential election in August 2020 that handed authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth consecutive term.