DPR separatists sentenced Ukrainian scientist Kozlovskyy to prison
On May 3, the so-called military tribunal of the DPR sentenced Donetsk scientist-theologian Ihor Kozlovskyy to two years and eight months of imprisonment. This was reported by his son Alexander on Facebook.
Ihor Kozlovskyy is a Ukrainian scientist with a PhD in historical sciences who taught religious studies at Donetsk National Technical University and the head of the Donetsk branch of the Ukrainian Association of Theologists. Neither Ihor Kozlovskyy’s age nor the disabled son in his care was taken into account as extenuating circumstances.
"The so-called court argued its position by the fact that Kozlovskyy is a particularly unreliable citizen since he had contacts with a number of organizations banned in the DPR, especially members of the Svoboda Party in 2014. All that remains is to hope for broad public support and effective actions of the Ukrainian authorities and international organizations directed at the release of Ihor Kozlovskyy," Alexander wrote.
He also thanked everyone who joined the #FreeKozlovskyy action and disseminated information about this situation as much as possible.
Kozlovskyy was arrested in January 2016 in Donetsk. According to his wife Valentina, he was arrested for his "wrong correspondence" on Facebook.
In the summer of 2016, the presidential envoy for the peaceful settlement of the situation in Donbass, Iryna Herashchenko reported with reference to the representatives of the DPR that Kozlovskyy was arrested "as a spy" and also "for manufacturing ammunition." At the same time, the separatists claim that he is a "citizen of the Donetsk People's Republic" and cannot participate in the exchange of prisoners.