Former hostage Sasha Troufanov addressed on Friday the propaganda video published by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad earlier this week in which hostage Rom Braslavski appeared.
"Through his eyes, I saw all the difficulty, suffering, and all the hard things he has gone through" since they last saw each other, Troufanov, who was released from captivity in February, said.
שורד השבי סשה טרופנוב על הסרטון של רום ברסלבסקי מהשבי: "הוא נראה במצב גרוע בהרבה מהפעם האחרונה שראיתי אותו"@NOFARMOS pic.twitter.com/KwAaJK6j9c
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 18, 2025
"His eyes were starkly different than those of the person I saw a year ago."
Troufanov said this made him think, "What are we celebrating in this holiday of freedom," referring to the Passover holiday. "We celebrate the freedom of our people who came out of Egypt. We do not celebrate the victory over the Egyptians."
Troufanov asked to convey the message regarding the commitment to bring the hostages back as soon as possible. The "mitzvah" in returning them home is greater than defeating the enemy.
"We will circle the world, and go to every leader" to bring about the hostages' return, he said.
Troufanov's March message to Braslavski
In March, Troufanov published a video, addressing Braslavski in Hebrew and Arabic.
Troufanov noted he thought much about Braslavski, whom he had met for a brief period while in captivity.
“Rom, I hope my voice will be a light and a source of hope for you in the dark and grim place you are in,” he stated.
“I want you to know that I, your friends, your family, and all of Israel are praying for your well-being and doing everything for your release.
“Redeeming captives is a supreme value in Judaism. Please, don’t leave them behind. Do everything to bring them back,” he said.
On October 7, Braslavski, 21, was abducted while working as a security guard at the Nova music festival during a break in his army service. This is the first sign of life his family has received from him.