The Askonim have been busy for almost a year with the painful story of a dear Jew who got into trouble in the Ukraine and has been detained by the police in one of the harshest prisons in Kiev. At first, it seemed possible to release him, but after the war broke out in the Ukraine in which over ten million people were displaced from their homes and refugees left the state, things became more complicated as Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine, was under a real threat of occupation. Dozens of Jewish communities and thousands of their members left their homes and emigrated outside of the Ukraine, and in the midst of all this, a Jew was arrested for no wrongdoing on his part.
He has Russian citizenship which complicates the story and his life is in danger every day as he’s been placed in prison among criminals and thieves. Since there is no cooperation between the countries, they will not extradite him to Russia and this complicates the tragic story even more because the trial cannot take place and he can be stuck for many years without a trial.
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In the meantime, they are trying to provide him with kosher food, clothes, and Tefillin, but he will need tens of thousands of dollars for lawyers and legal advice, and as is the custom of the place, he will need to bribe several people along the way; the expenses are many and no one is paying any attention.
To compound the problem, the Askonim and rabbis aren’t present in the area and there is a real need for their presence there in order to advance things. Dear Jew, we desperately need your help to get him released as soon as possible
