Hennadii was a young man of Crimean origin who first fell into the hands of Russian torturers in 2014 as a result of the occupation of Crimea. He was one of several well-known Crimean prisoners illegally imprisoned and tortured by the Kremlin for their activities in favor of Ukraine.
The most famous of these prisoners was the indomitable film director Oleg Sentsov, who was later awarded the Sakharov Prize.
We met with them personally. Hennadii, who was released in 2016, actively sought the release of others. He visited us in Warsaw, including during the OSCE conferences and meetings at the Ukrainian World centre. He participated in a number of events in the European and international forums dedicated to the capture of Ukrainian hostages by Putin and anti-Russian sanctions.
Oleg continues to defend Ukraine. Hennadii dedicated his life to defending freedom. And our freedom as well. Let us honor his memory!
