Well-known Ukrainian human rights defender Maksym Butkevych, sentenced by a Moscow-installed court in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region to 13 years in prison in March, has been located in the Russian-occupied region after going missing for more than three months.
Butkevych's lawyer, Leonid Solovyov, told the Graty Telegram channel on December 5 that the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service had informed him his client is currently serving his term in a prison in the town of Krasniy Luch.
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Butkevych's relatives have expressed concerns about his situation saying they had not been aware of his whereabouts since late August.
Butkevych was sentenced on March 10 for allegedly being involved in two attempted murders, as well as premeditated damage of others' property, cruelty against civilians, and using banned methods in an armed conflict. He and his supporters have rejected the charges.
Butkevych was known for raising awareness of the problems faced by refugees even before the Russian invasion.
He gained prominence for his calls to amend Ukraine's migration regulations for Belarusian nationals who fled en masse to Ukraine following a deadly crackdown on dissent that started after a disputed presidential election in Belarus in August 2020.
In addition to his human rights activities, Butkevych is 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 that at the time were controlled by Russian-backed separatists.
Just days after Russia launched its ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, Butkevych joined Ukraine's armed forces.
In July 2022, his mother recognized him on 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.