This year, during the 13th International Book Arsenal Festival, held from May 29 to June 1, the Letters to a Free Crimea initiative operated a dedicated stand. This initiative serves as a platform of civic solidarity with political prisoners held in detention in temporarily occupied Crimea and the Russian Federation.

In four days, visitors to the festival wrote 294 letters of support for Crimean political prisoners. Each letter was addressed to an individual currently unlawfully imprisoned for their beliefs, civic engagement, or identity.

Her Excellency Natalka Cmoc, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, joined the Letters to a Free Crimea campaign by writing a letter of support to journalist Osman Arifmemetov — one of the 25 Crimean Tatars whom Russia unlawfully accused of terrorist activity in 2019 and sentenced to imprisonment. The Ambassador also donated to receive his book My Deportation — a collection of reports and personal notes written during his time in a pre-trial detention center. She emphasized the need for continuous international visibility on the issue of political prisoners, including through the materials produced by Ukrainian journalists working on Crimean issues, and reaffirmed her commitment to advancing the Crimea topic internationally.

The initiative was carried out by the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, PEN Ukraine, ZMINA Human Rights Center, Crimea Daily, CrimeaSOS, and the Crimean Process.

Next to the stand was a curated thematic bookshelf. The featured publications included My Deportation, Free Voices of Crimea, Crimea Amidst Socio-Political Transformations, Philosophical Thought of the Crimean Khanate, Qırım inciri / Crimean Fig, The Pressing Machine, and Crimean Tatars as an Indigenous People. These were provided by the Mission, ZMINA Human Rights Center, and PEN Ukraine.

All proceeds from the books were donated to the Fund of National Welfare of Crimea (FNWC) — a special fund of the Crimean Tatar people created to finance strategic national programs, support the community, and build long-term reserves for future generations. This year, donations amounted to 31,400 UAH and were directed toward the purchase of drones for the needs of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.