Mentor of imprisoned Crimean journalist Iryna Danylovych becomes new PACE president

The Ukrainian Presidential Office in the Crimea announced that Petra Bair has become the new president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. She is known for her consistent support for Ukraine, a mentor of illegally imprisoned Crimean journalist and activist Iryna Danylovych in the russian federation.

The new president was elected on January 26, and Ukrainian MP Mariya Mezentseva became vice president.

“Diversity should not simply be a matter of tolerance. It should be respected, valued, and actively defended as part of a common European identity. I stand here on behalf of all those who defend their rights, regardless of whether they are 9 or 90 years old. Every person should have both the right and a real opportunity to express their views without fear of reprisals,” said the newly elected president.

Petra Bair has long supported Ukraine, repeatedly visited after the start of the full-scale russian invasion, and participated in the preparation of PACE resolutions. In particular, in 2023, the assembly recognized that russian aggression began in 2014.

The newly elected president is involved in the advocacy mentoring program for Crimean political prisoners, which has been in operation since 2021. Its participants are international politicians, experts, and opinion leaders. They use publicity to draw attention to Ukrainians who are illegally held in russian captivity.

Last year, Petra Bair called on the russian authorities to immediately release political prisoners, including citizen journalist Iryna Danylovych.

Let us recall that Iryna Danylovych is a nurse, public activist, and blogger from Feodosia, who collaborated with INzhir media and the human rights project Crimean Process and publicly defended the rights of medical workers in occupied Crimea. After being abducted by FSB officers in late April 2022, she was illegally detained for several days without a lawyer and subjected to pressure. Subsequently, the occupation “court” in Feodosia sentenced her to up to seven years in prison and a fine on a trumped-up charge of possessing explosives, despite criticism from the international community.

By Liudmyla Maznova