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Ukrainian journalist and human rights defender Maksym Butkevych has received the 2025 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, honoring his resilience and lifelong commitment to justice. Co-founder of Hromadske Radio and the ZMINA Human Rights Center, he spent years advocating for civil liberties and inclusive civic action in Ukraine.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Butkevych joined the Ukrainian armed forces despite his deep commitment to nonviolence. Captured by Russian troops, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison after a sham trial. He endured harsh conditions until October 2024, when he was freed in a major prisoner exchange.
At the award ceremony in Strasbourg on September 29, 2025, Butkevych appeared in a black hoodie reading “Ukrainian POW: You Are Not Forgotten.” In his remarks, he dedicated the prize to all Ukrainian political prisoners still held in Russia and emphasized that human rights must never be taken for granted.
The Václav Havel Prize, created in 2013 by the Council of Europe, includes €60,000 and a symbolic trophy. Butkevych is the first Ukrainian to receive this distinction, marking his journey from journalist to prisoner to human rights laureate.
To read the full story: https://tjcproject.org/ukrainian-journalist-maksym-butkevych-awarded-vaclav-havel-human-rights-prize/