Contents tagged with political prisoners

  • Russian court requests 1 year community service for woman accused of posting pro-Ukrainian content

    On the 17th of February, the Prosecutor in the Railway Court of Ekaterinburg City in Russia requested a year of community service for Catherine Volgozheninova.  The Prosecutor also requested a deduction of 10% of her earnings in the state income.  She is accused of extremism and reposting extremist content on the social network site Vkontakte.  Volgozheninova is a store clerk and a single mother.

    The Prosecutor explained that Volgozheninova received this lenient sentence as she has a small …

  • Rally in Support of Oleg Sentsov held in Berlin

    On the 14th of February, a rally in support of Ukrainian film maker Oleg Sentso, who was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in Russia, took place in Berlin at a film festival. Famous movie stars Meret Becker and Katja Riemann took part in the event organized by Amnesty International and both German and European Film Academies.

    Meret Becker, in an interview with Deutsche Welle, stated that Sentsov’s case should be considered by a civil court, not by a military court. According to her, it is …

  • Savchenko extradition procedure could start in March

    The extradition procedure of the illegally imprisoned Ukrainian pilot, Nadia Savchenko, may begin by mid-March.  This was stated by Savchenko’s lawyer, Mark Feygin, in an interview for Apostrophe.  Savchenko is currently imprisoned in Russia.

    “The verdict will be announced at the end of February or in early March, in just three and a half weeks.  The sentence will then come into legal force 10 days thereafter.  Savchenko refused to appeal, but I do not entirely agree with that.  I think that …

  • Two Ukrainian political prisoners held in Russia transferred from Rostov Detention Center

    Ukrainian film director, Oleg Sentsov, and anti-fascist Ukrainian activist, Olexandr Kolchenko, were transferred from the Rostov Detention Center on the 4th of February. According to available information, Sentsov is in Samara now awaiting transfer to the Irkutsk region, where he will serve his sentence. Kolchenko is in Voronezh awaiting transfer to the Chelyabinsk region.

    Kolchenko’s lawyer, Svetlana Sidorkina, reported that she expects confirmation of the transfer from the Federal Service of …

  • Kiev insists on Russia's immediate release of Crimean political prisoner Afanasiev

    Ukraine is deeply concerned about the continued torture of Gennadiy Afanasiev, an Ukrainian prisoner who is being illegally detained in Russia.  This alleged torture is conducted at the hands of the employees of the Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation.  A report by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also mentioned Afanasiev’s inhumane treatment and the continuous violation of his rights.

    “We demand that the Russian Federation respect the rights of the illegal prisoner and …

  • Rally against anti-protest legislation held in Moscow

    In Moscow, on the Yauza Gate square, a rally was held to support Ildar Dadina and several other political prisoners. Participants also called for the abolition of the ‘protest’ Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code, the law against participating in unsanctioned protests, as reported by a correspondent for Grani.  The rally was attended by about 400 people.

    The activists held slogans such as: "Anyone who thinks is the enemy," "Putin, bring in your henchmen," "The Constitution should be read to …

  • Russian Court to Consider Extending Natalia Sharina's House Arrest

    The Russian investigative committee is asking the court to extend the house arrest of the Director of the Library of Ukrainian Literature in Moscow, Natalia Sharina, for another three months, her lawyer Ivan Pavlov reported.

    "On January 27th, the Presnensky Court of Moscow will consider the extension of the house arrest of Natalia Sharina. The investigative committee asked the court to extend this period for another three months," Pavlov said. According to him, the court will begin hearings …

  • Herashchenko calls for presence of EU peacekeepers in Donbas

    The Ukrainian President’s envoy to restore peace in the Donbas region, Iryna Herashchenko, wrote on her Facebook page that the entry of a European Union peacekeeping mission to the conflict area in eastern Ukraine has become even more necessary.

    “During a telephone conversation with the members of Normandy Quartet, the Ukrainian President asked the European Union to send a peacekeeping mission to Donbas. In the context of European security, monitoring the fragile situation in the Donbas region …