Ukrainian scholar Ihor Kozlovskyi who survived imprisonment in Donetsk dies at 69

One of Ukraine's most prominent scholars, university professor Ihor Kozlovskyi, passed away overnight in Kyiv at age 69 following a heart attack, his family and friends said on Sept. 6.

Kozlovskyi, who came from Donetsk oblast, was a researcher, writer, and public intellectual in the field of theology and religious studies.

When Russia occupied the region and installed a proxy government in 2014, Kozlovskyi refused to leave his home, where he cared for his disabled son.

However, as a participant of the EuroMaidan protests in Donetsk and a public figure who refused to hide his Ukrainian identity, he became a target.  

In 2016, the proxy authorities held him for 700 days at the Izoliatsiia prison camp for his pro-Ukrainian views. The prison, which is on the site of a former factory and then art center, is notorious for the use of torture and the horrendous conditions the prisoners are kept in.

Kozlovskyi was released in a prisoner swap on Dec. 27, 2017, following a public campaign.

Once free, Kozlovskyi continued his writing and research, and became an activist for the release of other prisoners in Russian-occupied territories.

His death came as unexpected to those who knew him, as the night before, he attended a film premiere in Kyiv.