Dozens of political prisoners are currently being held by the Kremlin. Now the Ukrainian government is working to make sure they are not forgotten. For many Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin, hope is their last lifeline.

The false accusations, sham trials, and circus courts provide the Russian powers a smokescreen to hide their real intentions — to maintain advantage over Ukraine. Journalists Roman Sushchenko and Mykola Semena, filmmaker Oleg Sentsov and dozens of others find themselves as hostages — or rather pawns, in a much larger political game.

Protest for release of Ukrainian political prisoners held in Russia. Kyiv, 2015

The Russian government and its proxy forces keep dozens of Ukrainians in prison cells. Activists say the Ukrainian state should support them — both morally and financially. This is the main objective of a new piece of draft legislation.

Vadym Chernysh, Minister, Temporarily Occupied Territories

The government should show attention to this problem, should provide support and thereby encourage protest movements in the occupied territories. In our opinion, this can make it easier for these Ukrainians to access international law courts.

This bill is necessary, experts say. After all, just in occupied Crimea alone, the Russian authorities has deprived 46 Ukrainians of their freedom. Around half of those, for political reasons.

Vadym Chernysh, Minister, Temporarily Occupied Territories

The peculiarity of those people in Crimea who are now fighting for the independence and territorial integrity of our country is that, there, the Russian Federation established a regime of terror, without hiding it, as in Donbas.

The Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev suggested the definition of political prisoner be expanded.

And so the number of political prisoners is underreported. Ukrainian patriots in Crimea are persecuted under various pretexts. It doesn’t take much to attract the attention of the Russian occupying authorities. It’s enough simply to post in a social network or belong to a different religion.

Mustafa Jemilev, Ukrainian Presidential Envoy of the Crimean Tatar People

They arrested members of Hizb ut-Tahrir. It is a religious structure, a religious organization. Not prohibited in Ukraine, but banned in Russia. Russian authorities put in fear and simply arrest Crimean activists. Under the guise of Hizb ut-Tahrir, people are simply arrested, simply to instill fear.

The Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs in Ukraine submitted the draft law. They’re calling for the government to provide social benefits to Ukrainian political prisoners or their families. The bill meets international standards on human rights. Organizers hope to submit it to Parliament in September.