January 12 marks Ukrainian Political Prisoner Day in Ukraine. Unfortunately, due to russia's oppressive regime, this day remains tragically relevant. It now also includes those unjustly imprisoned by russia in territories it has occupied since 2014.
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The term "political prisoners" does not merely refer to opposition to russian authorities. It encompasses civilians, Ukrainian citizens, who have been baselessly accused of terrorism, extremism, or treason and have become hostages of the russian regime.
These people do not have to be activists or journalists — merely living in their homeland, in Crimea, and opposing the occupation is enough to become a target.
Currently, there are 218 known political prisoners, 132 of whom are indigenous Crimean Tatars. These people span all age groups and faiths. Most are held in critical conditions and face severe violations of their rights.
While russia tries to convince the world it is a "peaceful" nation, it invades other countries' territories and oppresses their patriotic citizens — people who have no connection to russia and have never wished to live under its rule.
Simultaneously, as it imprisons and suppresses, russia also abducts (and possibly brutally murders) Ukrainian citizens in the occupied territories, including Crimea. Since 2014, 24 people have been reported missing in Crimea, with no information about their fate to this day.
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Once an empire, always an empire.