Urgent appeal: help Ukrainian prisoners in Russia
For months, we have supported Ukrainian citizens held in Russian prisons on politically motivated charges on our own. But the need has grown too large — and now, we are asking for your help.
We are launching an emergency fundraising campaign to support Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia. Your donations will help cover legal fees and provide humanitarian aid.
They need legal help. They need humanitarian aid. Most of all — they need not to be forgotten.
Ukrainian Citizens — Held as hostages
The reality that Ukrainians are facing in Russian detention is one of isolation, abuse, and fear. They are tortured, denied contact with family, tried in biased courts, and held in degrading conditions that violate every standard of human dignity.
There was no water, no toilet, no beds. We slept on wooden planks. We heard screams from the torture chamber day and night. Once, someone was taken from a nearby cell — then we heard a gunshot. The guards said we were next.
This level of cruelty is not an exception — it is a part of the system. And for many, even a basic connection with the outside world is impossible. Family visits, phone calls, even letters or a defense lawyer are luxuries.
We still manage to support them. But we cannot continue without your help.
We are raising €38,000 to provide life-saving legal and humanitarian support to Ukrainians imprisoned for political reasons by Russian authorities.
Please donate — and share this campaign widely!
Where your money goes
Humanitarian aid (€3,320)
Why humanitarian aid is so urgently needed
In Russian prisons, even the most basic needs are not met — especially for Ukrainian prisoners. There is a lack of food, medicine, or hygiene items. Families are usually the ones who send supplies — but for many Ukrainian detainees, their families are far away, unable to send parcels across borders, or even unaware of where their loved ones are being held.
That means prisoners are left without:
- enough food to stay healthy
- basic hygiene products like soap, toothpaste, or menstrual supplies
- clean clothes or warm shoes for winter
- any kind of medicine — even for chronic conditions
- books or even writing paper to stay mentally sane
We fill that gap. We regularly send packages with food, medicine, hygiene supplies, books, and warm clothes to dozens of Ukrainian prisoners. Sometimes we are the only people they hear from. Often, our packages are the only thing standing between them and complete isolation.
Serhii Heidt wrote us:
“I have no food left. No soap. I tried writing to my lawyer, but I don’t think the letters reached him. If you can send anything — food, cigarettes — I’d be deeply grateful.”
Yanina Akulova, sentenced to 9 years in a Russian penal colony, said in court: “I’ve always helped others — as a massage therapist, as a mother, as a citizen. When the explosions came to Melitopol, we hid in basements, windows taped up. I don’t even know why I’m here. Russia separated me from my children. I sit here in a cell in Rostov, not understanding what I’ve been accused of.”
She is asking for help on behalf of another Ukrainian prisoner: “There’s a girl here who is in desperate need of help — she has absolutely nothing, not even the most basic things, like hygiene products. We gave her what we could, but… that’s not enough”
Legal aid (€34,680)
We fund the work of independent lawyers defending dozens of Ukrainian political prisoners — some have been on trial for over six months, others are just beginning their fight.
We cannot publish details about most of these cases. Doing so could endanger the prisoners and their legal teams. But know this: torture, isolation, and cruelty they face is real — and well documented.
Legal support is often the only line of defense left. We must keep it going.
You can help
💛 Donate — even a small amount makes a real difference.
🩵 Share this fundraiser with trusted friends and networks — especially outside the Russian-speaking world. Remember: €10 from 3,800 people can cover full legal and humanitarian support for dozens of Ukrainian prisoners in Russia. Help us bring hope behind bars.
They are isolated, but not invisible.
Support Ukrainian political prisoners today.
Start your own fundraiser!
You can launch a personal fundraiser to support prisoners from Ukraine who are currently held in Russian jails. Share with your loved ones why this cause matters to you — your personal example is the strongest motivation for others to help. Follow the link, start your fundraiser, tell your family and friends about it, and all the funds you raise will go directly to support Ukrainian prisoners!