By Matt De Vlieger, former UFPJ National Organizer
There’s no easy way to put this, so I’m going to be direct, while providing some personal context. My friend Bryan, a soldier in the Ukrainian army who surrendered at Mariupol, was one of three men recently sentenced to death by a Russian proxy court. Have you heard of the “two Britons and one Moroccan?” He is the Moroccan.
It wasn’t until I saw his face in the headlines that I learned of his birth name, Brahim Saadoune, a 21-year-old who moved to Ukraine to attend the Polytechnic University in Kyiv.
I met Bryan in Kyiv on my first visit to Ukraine in September 2021. He was a kind “kid” who greeted me in perfect English but was also able to translate as he introduced me to Russian and Ukrainian-speaking Ukrainians who don’t often speak much English. I didn’t know then, but he had introduced me to my current roommate; a queer-American expat who eventually became one of the many unrecognized refugees after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
From the moment we met, it was obvious that Bryan was a smart, sweet, caring, funny and charismatic guy, who spoke many languages, had many friends and the trust of others, and a broad socio-political worldview. He opened up to me about his life, uncertainties, difficulties, and his desire to stay in Kyiv with his friends and chosen family. It was then that he mentioned the option of joining the Ukrainian military as an opportunity to solve his dilemmas.
At that moment, although there was always awareness of some fighting near Donbas, the thought of a full-scale war was not on our minds. We saw each other and continued our banter for multiple days, and when I had to abruptly leave Kyiv, I knew I would return and see him and meet our new friend group there again.
I planned to return in the new year and when I did, many familiar faces popped up in the place where we’d met. All but Bryan’s. It was then that my now “house guest” explained to me that Bryan, like many under-resourced youth in the United States and elsewhere, had signed a contract with the Ukrainian military that would allow him to remain in Ukraine legally.
Part of why I’d returned to Ukraine, with the threat of war in the air, was to determine if there was any support that UFPJ, our allies, and the global peace movement could offer to antiwar organizers on the ground. At that point, the war provocations had risen, Russian troops were surrounding the borders, and around then, President Biden began giving his briefings to the world on the intelligence which pointed to an imminent invasion. There was still some uncertainty over whether it was just posturing, and few Ukrainians wanted to discuss the topic. “We’ve been at war for years. Do you expect me to suddenly become hysterical? Of course, I am for peace, but if Russians invade, we will show them the exit,” was the general sentiment.
I began reaching out to Bryan for information and to see how he was doing. He was able to provide some perspective, as were my friends from Donetsk and Kharkiv and other parts of the country. Brain seemed to believe the Russians would have a tough time taking Kyiv if they tried. For now, he has been correct. We’d joke and share memes as he was on the front. He’d give me updates on whether there was the sound of gunshots or explosions. He never told me exactly where he was and from time to time, once the war started, we’d lose contact for weeks at a time.
Only after reports of his capture did I learn that Bryan was moved from where he was stationed, ultimately to join the Ukrainian defense of Mariupol, which had already become the well-known humanitarian crisis zone that it is today. I’ll spare you my interpretation as it’s throughout the media, but it turns out that Bryan/Brahim was one of the many Ukrainians who surrendered due to lack of food, supplies, medicine, and the inability to sustain.
The “2 Britons and 1 Moroccan” are being used by the Russians to make an example of what they will do to any fighters of foreign origin. Even though all three were members of the Ukrainian military, defending against the Russian offensive, the Russian proxy “Supreme Court” ‘and their illegitimate trial suggested that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to these prisoners of war. Each was handed the death sentence, with only 30 days to appeal. Today, UK officials have made statements and are taking action in support of their citizens, in an attempt to spare them this fate. For Brahim, the Moroccan government has said nothing. Still, somehow, Brahim has made an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
His native Morocco has played a neutral position with regards to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They were not present for the UN vote condemning it.
This week I met twice with part of the Moroccan delegation at the UN. At first, the representative was not aware of my friend Brahim Saadoune’s and instead told me of the flights they supported to help evacuate Moroccan students following the invasion. I shared his story and was promised a response. On the second day I was told that the Ambassador was aware of Brahim’s story and that there would be no official statements or actions taken.
So far, any significant organizing for Brahim’s release has been done by his many friends from Kyiv, with support of the burgeoning, strong, and resistant Kyiv club scene. His story has been told by those who know him best, to counter any spins by pro-Russian propagandists. In one of the photos of him being taken from the court following the death sentence, he gave a giant sarcastic smirk to the cameras. Many of us believe that was him telling us that even this unbelievable experience hasn’t broken his spirit, hope, or humor.
I want to be able to tell you a specific action you can take to support him, but for now, we’re still trying to define where the pressure needs to be applied. The most important thing we can do right now, is share his story and speak his name, in halls of power, in meetings of friends and family and we must keep him in focus. Through the hashtag #savebrahim, we have stayed, connected, shared information, and even pressured Zelensky’s Chief of Staff to take notice and release a video on Instagram devoting their administration to Brahim’s cause.
I encourage you to search for #savebrahim and to share his story with this hashtag. Please use your channels and your networks to make his story known. If we do not force a change in the sentence, it could mean death by firing squad for him in a matter of a couple weeks.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to tell you about my friend, Brahim “Bryan” Saadoune. I’m looking forward to spending time with him again.
