Ukraine condemns the sentence of Ukrainian activist Balukh in the annexed Crimea
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (MFA) voiced their protest to the “sentencing” by the Razdolnenskiy “District Court” in the annexed Crimea of Ukrainian activist Volodymyr Balukh, Ukrainian MFA press service reports.
“Having condemned the Ukrainian under a fabricated pretext during an almost four year imprisonment solely for his civil position and peaceful resistance to the illegal annexation of his native land, Russia once again demonstrated to the world its cynical disregard for human rights, freedoms, and human life in general,” the message says.
The Ministry also recalled that Russia neglected the both key provisions of international humanitarian law and the demands of the UN General Assembly, as stated in the UN General Assembly resolution, “On the Situation of Human Rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol (Ukraine)”.
“In Ukraine, the case against Volodymyr Balukh is considered another violation by the Russian Federation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. We demand Russians abolish this inhumane and groundless judicial decision immediately and to stop any prosecution of Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Balukh,” the Ministry summarized.
The Russian FSB detained Volodymyr Balukh on the morning of December 8, 2016. During searches of his house, law enforcement officers found 90 cartridges and several TNT blocks.
The “authorities” of the Russian-controlled Crimea demanded the activist to remove a sign plate reading “18, Street of Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred” installed on the wall of his house.
According to Balukh, Crimean authorities prosecuted him due to a Ukrainian flag, which had been hung on his house.