During the annual Ukrainian music and arts event Atlas Festival, held at Blockbuster Mall in Kyiv from 18 to 20 July, attendees participated in the Letters to a Free Crimea initiative and wrote messages of support for Crimean political prisoners.

During the three days of the event, visitors wrote 58 letters at the campaign booth to show their support. The messages were addressed to individuals held by the occupying administration in places of detention across temporarily occupied Crimea and the Russian Federation. Each letter is a response to their resilience and civic stance — a gesture of solidarity with those persecuted and imprisoned by Russia on political, ethnic, or religious grounds.

The initiative was carried out by the Mission, PEN Ukraine, the ZMINA Human Rights Centre, Crimea Daily, the CrimeaSOS NGO, and the Crimean Process NGO.

Letters to a Free Crimea is aimed at reminding society of Ukraine’s political prisoners held by the Kremlin and affirming that they are remembered and cared for. Broad public support also serves as a message to the administrations of penal colonies and pre-trial detention centres: each political prisoner is under the watchful eye of the public, and any attempt to harm them will not go unnoticed.

We invite everyone to join the initiative — even a few lines filled with care or news from home can uplift and strengthen the spirit of those who continue to resist under inhumane conditions.