Serhiy Tsyhipa is turning 65 on 10 August, his fifth birthday in Russian captivity. The Ukrainian journalist, writer and civic activist from Nova Kakhovka (Kherson oblast) has already paid a heavy price for speaking out against Russia’s invasion and occupation of his homeland. Publicity is needed to ensure that he does not serve Russia’s reprisal 13-year sentence to the end. Olena Tsyhipa has issued a plea for people to join her in a flashmob for her husband’s birthday. She asks that they take a selfie, or make a videoed message, holding a placard reading “65 years – 5 years stolen’ under the hashtag #FreeSergiyTsyhipa. Even if Serhiy does not receive the greetings in the Russian prison colony where he is held, they will help to draw attention to his imprisonment.
A collection of poems written by Serhiy Tsyhipa in Russian captivity was published in June under the title “Alphabet of Captivity”. In presenting the book, Olena stated: “My husband has managed to retain what is most valuable: his inner freedom of thought and power of the word. The book is an important reminder of the fate of Ukrainian civilians whom the Kremlin is illegally holding in its prison camps. It is a call to not be silent, but to remember and act.”
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Tsyhipa disappeared on 12 March 2022 as he was heading to Tavriysk to take medicine to his mother-in-law. Oleh Baturin, a fellow journalist, who was abducted a day later, but released after eight days, was able to confirm that Tsyhipa was held by the Russians, with that almost the only information that Serhiy’s family had for the first eight months. It was the only direct information, since a video which appeared on the Internet in the middle of April essentially confirmed fears that Tsyhipa had been subjected to torture.
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