Greetings, my name is Brahim Saadoune also known as Brian, I am a 22 year old Moroccan who was studying in Ukraine and subsequently served in the Ukrainian Marines. I was captured during the siege of the city of Mariupol and sentenced to death by a Russian-backed court.
I would like to thank UFPJ and the many other grassroots organizations and activists who helped keep my story in focus and demanded my release from this unlawful detention and political sentencing that could have taken my life. Luckily, I was released and am now with my family.
During my service period and duration in captivity, I witnessed various events that have changed the way I look at things and helped motivate me more to oppose the Russian invasion and war against Ukraine.
While imprisoned and under the hands of the Russians I witnessed various acts of human rights abuse including physical and psychological torture, extrajudicial murder of POWs and kidnapping of innocent civilians under the pretext of them being spies or enemies of the state. For example, I saw the murder of the Irish/British national Paul Urie, who was my cell mate, due to severe beatings and mistreatment of his diabetes. I, too, experienced some of these inhumane acts of cruelty and violence.
Since my release, my hope is to take the opportunity to represent and defend POWs rights and be their voice on the outside. However, at this very moment I am working to reintegrate to basic daily life before I can fully engage in this effort.I now reside in Casablanca Morocco, and due to the government playing both sides of the conflict and often leaning toward Russia, I have been put on a government watch list. I am constantly being monitored, and I am unable to travel. As of today, hitting the one month mark since I applied for my passport, the Ministry of Internal affairs is still unable to provide information as to why my passport is being delayed.
My goal is to be able to travel once again and to advocate for the fair treatment and safe return of POWs of the Russian war and occupation. Please don’t write them off and continue to keep them in your thoughts, as you did for me.
