Post by Mariam Lambert

Marina Branitskaya Cannot Walk or Speak. Russia Took Her. She Was Found. Why Is She Still Not Home? Marina Branitskaya was born with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. She cannot walk. She cannot speak. She depends entirely on others for her care. When Russian forces occupied the Kherson region in 2022, Marina, then 22 years old, was taken from the Oleshky Psychoneurological Internat. Overnight, her grandmother lost all contact with her. For four and a half years, she has lived with the unbearable uncertainty of not knowing where her granddaughter was, whether she was safe, or whether she was receiving the care she desperately needs. At the Emile Foundation, we have now traced and located Marina. Working alongside her relatives, we helped prepare the necessary documentation, and an official request for her return has been submitted through the Ukrainian authorities. Yet Marina is still not home. This is the painful reality many families face. Finding a missing loved one is only the beginning. Returning them requires cooperation. As long as Russia refuses to cooperate in facilitating returns, families remain trapped in limbo, knowing where their loved ones are but powerless to bring them home. This is why our work goes far beyond tracing people. Every day, we stand beside relatives who have spent years living in fear, uncertainty and isolation. We help them navigate complex legal procedures, advocate for their loved ones, and, perhaps most importantly, ensure that their voices are finally heard. Behind every file on our desk is a family. Behind every statistic is a grandmother waiting for her granddaughter. Marina is not a number. She is a young woman with severe disabilities. She is loved. She is waiting. And her family is waiting with her. We will continue to speak her name, and the names of every child and vulnerable person unlawfully taken during this war, until they are safely reunited with the people who love them. Please share Marina’s story. The world cannot look away. #HumanRights #Ukraine #BringThemHome #EmileFoundation #InternationalHumanitarianLaw #StandWithUkraine

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