Incarceration – particularly when one is jailed unjustly – is said to harden the soul. But the truth of life for a political prisoner is the opposite of this, as Nelson Mandela's passage to freedom and visionary leadership of post-apartheid South Africa so clearly showed.
KHARKIV – Incarceration is said to leave you with a feeling of helplessness and vulnerability. But the truth of life for a political prisoner, even for one on a hunger strike, is the opposite. As a prisoner, I have been forced to focus on what is essential about myself, my political beliefs, and my country. So I can almost feel the presence of the brave women and men, old and young, who have gathered in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities to defend their dreams of a democratic and European future. In prison, your hopes and dreams become your reality.
KHARKIV – Incarceration is said to leave you with a feeling of helplessness and vulnerability. But the truth of life for a political prisoner, even for one on a hunger strike, is the opposite. As a prisoner, I have been forced to focus on what is essential about myself, my political beliefs, and my country. So I can almost feel the presence of the brave women and men, old and young, who have gathered in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities to defend their dreams of a democratic and European future. In prison, your hopes and dreams become your reality.