On 15 November 2018 the Permanent Representative of the President in ARC Borys Babin and the officials of the Mission’s Kyiv office took part in the action “Empty Сhairs” to support the Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia and in the occupied Crimea as well as in the occupied East of Ukraine.

The action was attended as well by the First Deputy Chairman of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Gerashchenko, by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vasyl Bodnar, by the First Deputy Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova, by Julia Sushchenko, the daughter of the journalist and political detainee Roman Sushchenko, by the actress Irma Vitkovska-Vantsa, by the journalist Denis Kazansky, by the representatives of civil society associations, actors and the press.

As per organizers of the action, since the end of 1980-s “empty chair” represents the author who is unable to present at a particular event due to imprisonment, detention and disappearance, threat to life or murder. From that time 15 November is considered to be the Day of the Imprisoned Writer all over the world and to commemorate this Day, the Human Rights actions and performances are held in different cities where PEN –clubs of journalists are.