This Friday, 13 July, is Oleg Sentsov’s 42nd birthday. This will be the fourth birthday he spends behind bars, away from his family. Instead, he will be on day 61 of his hunger strike, calling for the release of imprisoned Ukrainians in Russia.

Sentsov’s cousin, Natalia Kaplan, visited him in prison earlier this month. He has reportedly lost 15 kg. Speaking to the press, she said:

Yesterday he was very bad, today he’s feeling normal. He’s getting worse in the evenings. He is not going to halt his hunger strike. He said he would go all the way and believes in his victory.

Sentsov’s birthday also happens to fall on the last week of the World Cup, during which PEN centres around the world have been taking part in the #KeepingScore campaign. Here at English PEN, we are gathering messages of solidarity and our colleagues at PEN America and PEN Kenya are hosting events to highlight his case.

To mark his birthday, PEN is asking members and high-profile supporters to tweet messages to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. As we near the end of this unique opportunity to put pressure on the Russian authorities to release Sentsov, and with his health failing, it is crucial that we work together on this final push.

TAKE ACTION

Read and share his work

Three of Oleg Sentsov’s short stories are available in English (translated by Dr Uilleam Blacker) and Arabic (translated byAmani Lazar)

Send messages of support

Please send messages of solidarity to Oleg Sentsov and his family via [email protected] We will then arrange for these to be translated into Russian.

Add your voice

Join the call to free Oleg Sentsov on social media: #FreeSentsov #KeepingScore

[email protected]_Eng, Oleg Sentsov should not be behind bars on his birthday. He should be with his family. Release him immediately #FreeSentsov #KeepingScore
Today marks Oleg Sentsov’s 42nd birthday and day 61 of his hunger strike in a Siberian prison [email protected]_Eng release him now! #FreeSentsov #KeepingScore
[email protected]_Eng, the world is watching. Oleg Sentsov grows weaker by the day on hunger strike. Today is his birthday. He must be freed! #FreeSentsov #KeepingScore @FIFAWorldCup