Russian public figures ask Putin to pardon Sentsov
Russian filmmakers Andrey Zvyagintsev, Pavel Lungin, Alexander Sokurov and other public figures have asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to pardon the Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment in Russia. The petition was posted on the website of the Echo of Moscow radio station.
“The man is dying. We don’t think that his guilt is so great he should be given 20 years for it. He is sincere and honest in his convictions – his indefinite hunger-strike proves this,” the petition reads.
The filmmakers ask Putin to show compassion “in order to save a human life”, and urge him to “soften the political climate in the country and make peace with the neighbors”. The petition was signed by filmmakers Konstantin Bronzit, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Pavel Lungin, Yuriy Norshteyn, Alexander Sokurov, Valeriy Todorovsky, Alexey Uchitel, Alexey Fedorchenko, actress Chulpan Khamatova, journalists Vladimir Pozner and Kseniya Sobchak, and the head of Roskino, Yekaterina Mtsituridze.
In August 2015, a Russian court found Sentsov guilty of creating a terrorist organization. The filmmaker was sentenced to 20 years of high-security prison. On May 14, Sentsov announced that he was going on an indefinite hunger strike, demanding the release of all the Ukrainian political prisoners who are being held in Russia. Despite all of the agreements, Russia has not allowed the Ukrainian human rights commissioner to visit the prisoner.
Oleksandr Kolchenko and Oleg Sentsov never confessed their guilt. Human rights organizations believe these accusations to be groundless and politically motivated.