Kyiv and Lviv to host ‘Empty Chair’ event in support of jailed journalists

The demonstrations mark the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, a global initiative created by PEN International known colloquially as “Empty Chair Day.” The empty chair serves as a symbol for writers and journalists who are absent due to imprisonment, persecution, disappearance, or death.

The two organizations have been spearheading the “Empty Chairs” campaign annually since 2018.

Former captives, journalists, human rights defenders, and cultural figures will join the demonstrations to share their experiences in Russian custody, provide updates on those still held, and advocate for their release, Suspilne reported.

The list of participants in Lviv includes:

• Marina Aleksandrovich – Translator, editor, and the wife of Nikolai Leonovich, a serviceman, poet, and illustrator missing in action
• Oleksandr Yakovliev – Mayor of Skadovsk in Kherson Oblast, who was abducted by Russian occupying forces in March 2022
• Oleh Baturyn – An investigative journalist from Kherson Oblast and former civilian captive who now documents Russian war crimes

The list of participants in Kyiv includes:

• Maksym Butkevych – A human rights defender and journalist who was recently released from Russian captivity
• Yevhen Shibalov – A former captive and co-author of the book The Numbers Game: Survive for Love (written alongside Iryna Bilotserkivska, the director of the Bilka publishing house)
• Dmytro Kanuper – A former captive serviceman and author of the book Okraets
• Denys Chystykov – Deputy Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea

Former captive serviceman Oleksiy Anulya, author of the book Jingle Bellz: A Documentary Diary, may also join the demonstration in Kyiv.