Sentsov and Kol’chenko may return to Ukraine
Sentenced to long terms of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov and activist Alexander Kol’chenko could theoretically be exchanged for captured officers of the Russian GRU. This was reported by a member of the Board of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, director of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group Evgeniy Zaharov.
According to human rights, lawyers and Sentsova Kol’chenko can seek the transfer of convicts to serve life in Ukraine.
“There is the Minsk Convention on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Cases of 22 January 1993. It provides for the transfer of prisoners to serve their sentences in the country of which they are. This good will of the two countries and this could be done on the basis of existing international treaties. But I have serious doubts that this is what happens. Because the Russian leadership this goodwill is simply no “, – Zakharov said.
The expert does not consider Sentsova and Kol’chenko first political prisoners of Ukrainian citizens on the territory of the Russian Federation. According to him, this is not the first case of conviction of political prisoners in Russia, because the country are persecuted and convicted a number of Russian activists and ordinary citizens of Ukraine, who were persecuted for their political beliefs and statements.
Processes themselves human rights activist believes that it is political.
“The process Sentsov-Kol’chenko, as well as in respect of Hope Savchenko, Russia wants to demonstrate that it is, as before, does not consider Ukraine’s independence, has no respect for its sovereignty and believes that it can bring them to trial Ukrainian citizens on trumped-up charges and accuse them in such crimes. This is all in line with the policy that recently the Kremlin is on Ukraine “, – Evgeniy Zaharov believes.
According to human rights activist Oleg Sentsov Alexander Kol’chenko Nadezhda Savchenko and may be released only in the event of a change of political regime in Russia, when they reviewed the criminal cases pending against them. At the same time, he did not rule out the possibility of a prisoner exchange.
“Between Russia and Ukraine, there may be political agreement on the exchange of prisoners, similar to how the Soviet Union exchanged spies in the Soviet political prisoners. Thus, in particular, have been released and went to the West , Vladimir Bukovsky , Mykola Rudenko and other dissidents and human rights activists.
“It’s hard to say, to whom can exchange convicted Sentsova Kol’chenko and, as a matter of trading. The fact that the process of international exchange of prisoners and the people completely secretive and the public does not take part in it. In Ukraine, it is engaged in the Security Service, or rather it is more of a performer, and the main issues are addressed at the highest level of political leadership. But such exchanges happen all the time. Theoretically, Sentsova, Kol’chenko or Hope Savchenko can exchange for the detainees in the ATO zone GRU officers of the Russian Federation. However, I’m not sure this is 100%, “- concluded Evgeniy Zaharov.
Recall, August 25, the North Caucasus District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don convicted in relation to Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsova on charges of planning terrorist attacks in the Crimea. The second defendant – activist Alexander Kol’chenko – found guilty of involvement in the terrorist community, complicity in a terrorist act.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has called illegal and inhumane sentence Russian court in the case of citizens of Ukraine Oleg Sentsova Kol’chenko and Alexander, who were sentenced to 20 and 10 years imprisonment respectively.
Sourse, 25/08/2015
