Maksym Butkevych talked at a libereco.org event in Berlin about civilians held in Russian prisons and how he's working with the Center for Civil Liberties to make the release of POWs and civilian prisoners a precondition for negotiations with Moscow. He spoke of the importance of writing to civilians illegally detained by Russia,as unlike prisoners of war,they have no officially recognized status.Receiving mail from abroad can be vital for prisoners' morale as well as their chances of survival.