US Secretary of State discusses the issue of Sentsov’s imprisonment with Lavrov
The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a telephone conversation with the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, during which the two sides discussed the situation with the Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov, reported the press service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Mike Pompeo discussed the issue of Oleg Sentsov’s imprisonment who is accused of involvement in terrorist activities. He was given the relevant explanations,” reads the message.
The Russian Foreign Ministry did not say what explanations were given to the US Secretary of State.
It is noted that Lavrov and Pompeo discussed the issue of Russians imprisoned in the US, in particular, Maria Butina, who is suspected of espionage.
The two sides also discussed the situation in Syria and the schedule of upcoming meetings, the report says.
The US State Department confirmed the telephone conversation between Pompeo and Lavrov.
The US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Pompeo spoke with Sergei Lavrov about the Ukrainian prisoner Oleg Sentsov, who has been on a hunger strike for more than three months in a Russian prison.
“United States Secretary Mike Pompeo spoke with Foreign Minister Lavrov about Ukrainian political prisoner Oleh Sentsov, who has been on a hunger strike for more than 3 months in a Russian prison. The Secretary noted concerns about Sentsov’s health and urged Russia to release Sentsov and all Ukrainian political prisoners,” Nauert wrote on Twitter.
In the middle of July, Sentsov’s mother sent a petition to the Russian president requesting a pardon for her son. In response to Lyudmila Sentsova’s request of a presidential pardon, the Russian administration responded that to begin the procedure, Sentsov himself should contact Russian President Vladimir Putin with this request. ON May 14th, Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov, imprisoned in Russia, declared an indefinite hunger strike demanding the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners in Russian prisons.