WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian detention, an Iranian rapper who faced a death sentence for criticizing his government, and three Greek-American servicemen were among those honored by the Washington OXI Day Foundation at its 15th annual OXI Courage and Service Awards.
The ceremonies took place October 28 and 29, marking the 86th anniversary of Greece’s refusal to submit to Fascist Italy’s ultimatum in 1940. More than 240 guests attended the October 28 black-tie gala at Washington National Cathedral, where dinner tables replaced the usual pews in the nave for the Foundation’s first gala at the venue.
Courage Under Repression in Ukraine and Iran
Victoria Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist who died at age 27, received the OXI Courage Award posthumously for her reporting from Russian-occupied territory.
Roshchyna continued investigating abuses against Ukrainian civilians despite repeated threats and detention. In March 2022, Russian forces fired on her vehicle and held her for ten days before releasing her. She returned to reporting, disappearing in August 2023 while working in occupied territory.
She died in Russian custody on September 19, 2024. Her remains were returned to Ukraine in February 2025, and Ukrainian investigators subsequently documented injuries consistent with torture and ill-treatment. The circumstances surrounding her death remain the subject of investigation, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Simon Shuster of The Atlantic accepted the award on behalf of Roshchyna’s family at the request of her father, who was too ill to travel.
In a message read by Shuster, her father recalled that Victoria had fallen in love with journalism in fifth grade, when she began writing for her school newspaper. Even as a child, she believed happiness meant helping others.
He also described how the family had booked tickets and a hotel for Victoria to travel to Washington to receive an award for her reporting. Instead, she returned to Russian-occupied territory to continue her work.
“The truth must not be allowed to die in captivity,” her father wrote.
The second OXI Courage Award went to Toomaj Salehi, an Iranian rapper and activist whose music has challenged government repression and human rights abuses.
Salehi was arrested in October 2022 during nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in Iranian custody. He endured imprisonment, reported torture and prolonged solitary confinement. A death sentence imposed against him in April 2024 was overturned that June, and he was released from prison in December 2024. His legal difficulties continued, including another brief arrest in June 2025, according to PEN America.
In a message sent from Iran, Salehi connected his experience to the Greek resistance of 1940.
“The spirit of ‘Oxi,’ the refusal to surrender to tyranny, is one that I share with countless Iranians who continue to risk everything to say ‘No’ to oppression,” he said, accepting the award on their behalf.
Carl Gershman, former president of the National Endowment for Democracy, presented the award to Azadeh Afsahi, founder of Houses Foundation, who accepted it on Salehi’s behalf.
Afsahi drew a parallel between Greece’s resistance to Fascist Italy and Salehi’s opposition to the Iranian government.
“In 1940, Greece resisted a dictator with that same word: Oxi. Eighty-six years later, a young rapper in Iran said it too, and it nearly cost him his life,” she said.
Three Greek-American Servicemen Honored
Three Greek-American servicemen were also recognized for their military service, spanning World War II, Vietnam and contemporary U.S. special operations.
Retired four-star General Andrew Poppas presented the awards on October 28 at the Colin Powell Library of the National War College at Fort McNair. The honorees were recognized again that evening at Washington National Cathedral.
Eddie Lambros, a private in the U.S. Army’s 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, received the Vasilios S. Haseotes Service Award posthumously. He was killed in Normandy on June 7, 1944, one day after the Allied landings, and is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in France.
Poppas recalled a photograph of Lambros and fellow American soldiers holding a Nazi flag, which he said appeared on the front page of The New York Times.
The award honors Vasilios Haseotes, a Greek immigrant from Constantinople who served in the U.S. Army during World War I. Wounded during his service, Haseotes returned to America and later founded Cumberland Farms with his wife, Aphrodite, in Rhode Island in 1939.
Retired Colonel Mark D. Gatanas, born on the Greek island of Chios, received the Calamos Service Award for his service during the Vietnam War.
Gatanas spent 26 years in the U.S. Army, including two combat tours in Vietnam. According to the Foundation, the rifle company he commanded was once surrounded for more than 88 hours by an enemy force over 20 times its size. He later served as a military adviser to American ambassadors.
Approaching his 90th birthday, Gatanas walked to the podium with a cane and asked, “What the hell is an infantry Airborne Ranger officer doing with a cane?” He then tossed it aside.
The award is named for John P. Calamos Sr., an Air Force combat aviator who served in Vietnam. Calamos spoke of the dangers faced by ground troops and the importance of recognizing Vietnam veterans, many of whom encountered hostility upon returning home.
Colonel Chris Countouriotis received the OXI Service Award for his service in U.S. Army Special Forces. His career has included assignments with units under U.S. Special Operations Command and deployments to Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, according to his Duke University fellowship biography.
Poppas also spoke about Countouriotis’ leadership in demanding special operations missions.
The Washington Gathering
Greece’s Ambassador to the United States, Antonis Alexandridis, addressed the gala, drawing connections between Greece’s wartime resistance and the Greek-American experience. He spoke of courage, perseverance and the determination to rebuild as qualities shared across Greek history and the lives of Greek immigrants in America.
The evening included a recorded message from Greece’s prime minister and recognition of the Dalai Lama, who had received the Metropolitan Chrysostomos Award earlier in Dharamshala, India. Fox News correspondent Mike Emanuel and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, through a recorded message, participated in his introduction.
Among those attending were Ukrainian Embassy representatives Denys Sienik, chargé d’affaires, and Halyna Yuspiuk, along with Cyprus Deputy Chief of Mission Myrianthi Spathi.
George Logothetis, executive chairman of Libra Group and chairman of Libra Philanthropies, delivered the keynote address, urging individuals and institutions to resist oppression.
“Stand firm against injustice, even when the winds are harrowing and strong,” he told the audience.
Andy Manatos, founder of the Washington OXI Day Foundation, spoke about Roshchyna and Salehi, both of whom had refused to remain silent despite the consequences. Previous OXI Courage Award recipients include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian democracy activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Nobel Peace Prize laureates Nadia Murad and Maria Ressa.
The ceremonies concluded October 29 with a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, where the Foundation and military representatives honored those who had lost their lives in service.