Captive Maksim Butkevich was awarded the Anne Frank special award

Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the USA, said about it.

This award is given for a significant contribution to the defence of human rights, the fight against anti-Semitism, racism and hate speech.

This year's winner of the Anne Frank Award is Senator Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who in 2012, together with Senator John McCain, authored the Magnitsky Act, which imposed personal sanctions against those responsible for violations of human rights and the rule of law," the report said.

Mrs Ambassador said that the winner of this year's Anne Frank special award was Ukrainian human rights activist, journalist, public figure and military officer Maksym Butkevych.

At the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Butkevych joined the ranks of Ukraine's defenders. He served in the 210th special separate battalion "Berlingo" and participated in the liberation of the Kiev region. In June 2022 he was captured in Luhansk region. Russian executioners sentenced him for allegedly attempted murder of two civilians and imprisoned him for 13 years.

A participant of the Revolution on Granite, a teacher at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, a journalist for STB and the BBC Ukrainian service in London, a co-founder of several well-known human rights organisations and Public Radio, a coordinator at the "Resource Centre for Assistance to IDPs" and an active participant in the Kremlin's Hostage Solidarity Committee, already at the very beginning of Russia's large-scale invasion Maxim joined the ranks of Ukraine's defenders," Markarova wrote.

It is thanks to such indestructible warriors as Maksim that we manage to continue the fight for our independence and for our victory," the ambassador said.

The son's award was received by Maksim's father, Professor Aliaksandr Fedotovich Butkevich.

Earlier, Socialportal published an interview with the parents of human rights defender and anti-fascist activist Maksim Butkevich, who was captured by Russia.