For the NGO Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, 2024 was a year of decisive action, strategic decisions, and tangible results in the fight for the release of illegally imprisoned civilians and the protection of their families' rights.
We continued to do what is at the heart of our mission:
- document war crimes and crimes against humanity; - provide legal and psychological assistance to victims;
- advocate for changes in legislation to strengthen social protection;
- inform society and the international community about the crimes of the occupiers.
Our key achievements in 2024
- We documented 1,506 episodes of potential war crimes and interviewed 218 witnesses of enforced disappearances, illegal detentions and other crimes.
- Provided 256 legal consultations to illegally detained civilians and their families, assisting with issues of status, social guarantees, compensation and deferrals from mobilisation.
- Developed and promoted proposals for changes to the law that provide for deferrals from mobilisation for those released, simplification of status recognition procedures, and expansion of social protection guarantees.
- Launched and conducted three series of the documentary project ‘Hostages Without Protection,’ which became the voice of those who returned from captivity without adequate support from the state.
- Released more than 50 episodes of the programme ‘Free Our Loved Ones’ on Hromadske Radio and hundreds of publications on social media and the website, spreading the truth about prisoners and ways to help.
- We became a member of the international initiative ‘Tribunal for Putin’, expanding our tools for bringing Russia to justice.
- We approved the Strategic Plan for 2025-2027, which defines our priorities for the near future.
Our director, Ihor Kotelianets, notes: "Systemic advocacy, family support, and international solidarity are the tools that allow us to turn pain into action. We will not stop until the last illegally imprisoned Ukrainian returns home."
In 2025, we plan to: Standardise our processes and implement solutions for rapid response to requests;
Strengthen our media presence and organise more public events;
- Continue to fight for legislative changes that eliminate discriminatory approaches to recognising the status of illegally imprisoned persons;
- Provide stable support to the families of hostages.
We would like to thank everyone who supported us in 2024 — our partners, volunteers, donors, and all those who care.
Together, we are making freedom a reality. The Association systematically documents war crimes, works to free civilians and supports their families.
The full annual report is available at https://drive.google.com/.../1--kpBxkXQA0hSGIf5FlTjH.../view.
