Olena Yahupova is a Ukrainian former civilian hostage who survived eight months in Russian captivity, and Aishe Kurtamet has her son and ex-husband unlawfully held in Russian colonies.
At a testimony event organised in Stockholm by PR Army together with Frivärld and Nordic Ukraine Forum on May 25th, Olena and Aishe spoke about forced labour, torture, and being forced to appear in Russian propaganda videos, and how Russian occupiers tried to coerce Aishe’s son into collaboration by promising him freedom, safety and a Russian passport – but he refused.
Bringing together Swedish parliamentarians, subject matter specialists and legal experts, Dr. Alina Zubkovych, Professor Mark Klamberg, and Fredrik Malm MP each addressed Russia’s system of civilian detention and the legal and political tools available to respond to it. The discussion also featured contributions from Alina Chubko of Ukraine’s Embassy in Sweden and Kajsa Ollongren, Former Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dmytro Raiskyi, Director of Strategic Communications of PR Army, and was moderated by Anna Renneus Guthrie, Director of Stockholm Free World Forum.