Vaclav Havel Prize awarded to Ukrainian journalist Maksym Butkevych

Ukrainian journalist and human rights activist Maksym Butkevych has been awarded the prestigious Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize by the Council of Europe.

“I dare to say that I participate in this ceremony, and I receive this honourable award not only in my personal capacity, but on behalf of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians illegally detained by Russia,” Butkevych said at the award ceremony in the French city of Strasbourg.

Butkevych is co-founder of the Zmina Human Rights Centre and Hromadske Radio.

At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he volunteered for service in the Ukrainian army despite his pacifist beliefs. He was taken as a prisoner of war by Russia and remained in captivity for more than two years before being released around a year ago as part of a prisoner exchange.

Three media professionals in final selection

Since 2013, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has awarded the prize for commitment to human rights.

In addition to Butkevych, this year’s shortlisted nominees included Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, who co-founded the independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, and Ulvi Hasanli from Azerbaijan, who has been the director of the independent media company Abzas Media since 2016.

Neither Amaghlobeli nor Hasanli could be present in person as they are in detention.

It is no coincidence that the three nominees are media professionals, said Parliamentary Assembly President Theodoros Rousopoulos. The past years have been particularly dangerous for journalists, he said.

“Without the right to freedom of expression and free, independent and pluralistic media, there is no true democracy,” Rousopoulos said.

The prize is endowed with €60,000 ($70,320) and is named after the late civil rights activist and former Czech president.

The Strasbourg-based Council of Europe oversees human rights in its 46 member countries and is not an organ of the European Union. Russia was excluded from the organization in 2022 after 26 years of membership due to the Ukraine war.