On Sofia Square in Kyiv, the action “Empty Chairs” took place, aimed at drawing public attention to Ukrainians who have been imprisoned or gone missing as a result of Russia’s aggression.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Symbolic Installation and Organizers
On November 15, an installation of empty chairs appeared in the central square of the capital, featuring the names of journalists, writers, cultural figures, and human rights defenders who are currently in captivity, unlawfully detained, or considered missing due to the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. This initiative was organized by the Ukrainian PEN and the Center for Civil Liberties.
“The Day of the Imprisoned Writer, or Empty Chair Day, is observed on November 15 at the initiative of International PEN. The empty chairs at human rights actions on this day symbolize authors who cannot be with us due to imprisonment, persecution, disappearance, or murder,” the organizers note.
Statistics on Losses Among Media Workers
According to the Institute of Mass Information, at least 26 civilian Ukrainian media workers and one journalist-combatant are currently held captive by Russia. Overall, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 119 media workers have been killed: 15 of them while performing their professional duties, 14 became civilian casualties, and another 90 died as participants in hostilities.
