Today, I want to ask you to do something very concrete: Please make a generous donation to support the international campaign to free Bogdan Syrotiuk.

On August 10, Bogdan, a 27-year-old Ukrainian socialist and opponent of war, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Fifteen years. And for what? Not for espionage. Not for sabotage. Not for passing on military secrets. Not for collaborating with the Russian military.

Bogdan was convicted for his political views—for six articles published on the World Socialist Web Site. These articles opposed the war, exposed the crimes of Ukrainian fascism, and called for the unity of Ukrainian, Russian and international workers.

The charge of “high treason under martial law” is a political fabrication. He was sentenced for a “thought crime.”

Who is Bogdan? Bogdan is a working-class youth from southern Ukraine who was orphaned at an early age and raised by his grandfather in poor conditions. Under the devastating impact of the restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union and the imperialist intervention in Ukraine, he turned to left-wing politics while still a child. Later, he became a Trotskyist.

From the very beginning, Bogdan opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, he opposed the US-NATO war against Russia and the transformation of the Ukrainian population into cannon fodder for the geopolitical interests of the major powers.

For this, he is now supposed to spend 15 years of his life behind bars. And this sentence puts his life in danger. Bogdan is in poor health. Over two years in detention, he was denied urgently needed medical treatment. International organizations have documented the horrific conditions in Ukrainian prisons—lack of adequate medical care, overcrowding, inhumane conditions and torture.

Every day Bogdan spends in prison poses a danger to his life.

But since his conviction, something else has also become very clear: Bogdan is not alone. More than 6,000 people have now signed the petition demanding his release. In the days since the verdict alone, more than 1,000 new signatures have come in from dozens of countries.

Historians, academics, artists, workers and young people have spoken out in protest. People around the world are writing to the court and demanding that the verdict be overturned. That is enormously important. This fight for his freedom can be won. But it must now be expanded on a massive scale.

His lawyers will appeal the verdict. That requires a determined legal defense. Every legal avenue, nationally and internationally, will be pursued. The European Court of Human Rights has already accepted his case. 

But the legal fight alone will not secure his freedom. We must intensify the international political pressure. We must reach far more people, break through the silence of the major media, translate statements and campaign material into additional languages, organize meetings and events, and mobilize journalists, artists, academics, trade unionists and defenders of democratic rights around the world.

All of this requires financial resources. That is why I am asking you: Donate to the campaign to free Bogdan Syrotiuk. Please give as generously as you can.

Every contribution helps us support the legal defense and expand the international campaign. And larger donations can make a decisive difference in taking this struggle to an entirely new level.

This is not an abstract political case. This is about a real human being. A 27-year-old socialist who has already been deprived of his freedom for more than two years and is now supposed to spend another 13 years behind bars because he fought against war, capitalism and fascism. We cannot allow this to happen.

The growing international support shows that people around the world are not prepared to remain silent while an opponent of war is persecuted. Now we must turn this solidarity into a powerful international movement.

Sign the petition. Spread the word about Bogdan’s case. And above all: support the campaign with a generous donation.

We need your help—now. To overturn the verdict. For Bogdan’s immediate and unconditional release.

Free Bogdan Syrotiuk!