How Russia imprisoned Ukrainians: a kaleidoscope of political affairs last year

On the day of the preliminary hearing on the case Olega Sentsova it is worth remembering those who in Russia is called “Crimean terrorists” and other political affairs, institutions against Ukrainians

In the Rostov military district court began preliminary hearings in the so-called Crimean case. In the dock – a famous Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov and Ukrainian ecologist Alexander Kol’chenko. They are accused of creating a terrorist community – the branch of “Right Sector” in the Crimea, in two arsons and attempted terrorist acts in Simferopol.

The prosecution believes that “the Crimean terrorists” were going to “have an impact on the authorities of the Russian Federation, created in the territory of the Republic of Crimea, and make Russia” to decide on the withdrawal of the Republic of Crimea from the Russian Federation. “

Open process

Preliminary hearings – absolutely closed and “ritual” meeting, which addressed the issue of the extension of the preventive measures and Kol’chenko Sentsova. defendants’ lawyers said the request for the exclusion of the case of inadmissible evidence and asked the court to hold a trial on the merits in the open mode.

During the meeting it was announced that the trial of Sentsov will be held in an open mode; The date of examination of the merits – on 21 July. The period of Sentsova extended until December.

The trial of “Crimean terrorists” – in fact, the first major process where the dock citizens of Ukraine, which is judged after the annexation of the Crimea.

At the end of last year, closed to the condemned one more defendants in the case – Gennady Afanasiev, who went on to deal with the justice, he pleaded guilty and testified on Sentsova and Kol’chenko. Afanasyev has received seven years of strict regime and will address the court in Rostov-on-Don as a key witness for the prosecution.

The second key witness in this case Alexey Cirno judged in the Rostov District Military Court, his case was also heard in a special mode – behind closed doors and without witnesses. The verdict is the same – seven years of strict regime.

Cirno as Afanasyev, perform a prosecution witness at the trial of Oleg and Alexander Sentsova Kol’chenko.

Let me remind you: neither Oleg Sentsov nor Alexander Kol’chenko pleaded not guilty in the creation of the terrorist community.

Terrorists, murderers, punitive: the chronology of absurdity

“Crimean terrorists” arrested in May 2014 and in June of last year in the Luhansk region of Voronezh evacuated Ukrainian pilots Hope Savchenko, which was soon charged – “complicity in the murder of Russian journalists.”

Court in her case will begin in late July – August.

In August, 2014 in Rostov-on-Don was arrested cattleman Sergey Litvinov . It was transferred to Moscow, and it turned out that he is accused of more “Ukrainian business”, along with Nadezhda Savchenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs Arsenom Avakovym, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region Igorem Kolomoyskim and others.

First Litvinov was accused of killings of civilians by Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code ( “abuse of the civilian population, as well as the use in armed conflict of means and methods prohibited by the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War”), but after in the case has entered the lawyer Viktor Parshutkin agreement, the charge corrected, and now Litvinov charged with “robbery against a citizen of Russia.” Apparently, the criminal article 356 will disappear from the prosecution, she disappeared from the prosecution in the case of Hope Savchenko.

In September of 2014 in Russia have arrested two more Ukrainian citizens – 73-year-old Yuri Soloshenko and 32-year-old Valentina Vygivskogo .

Both sit in the “Lefortovo”, each – his accusation of espionage. Almost ten months to him did not allow Ukrainian consul; They allowed only after Ukraine detained the wounded Russian GRU officers Alexander Alexandrov Evgeny Erofeev, and they asked for a meeting with the Russian consul. Here’s to the “Ukrainian spy” let their consul.

The investigation of these two “espionage cases” coming to an end; the courts will soon begin.

Another citizen, but in Russia, which has, moreover, a residence permit in Ukraine, the Russian FSB suspected of espionage in favor of Ukraine. His name is Viktor Shur, his 58 years, until his arrest, he studied architecture and antiques. Its going to judge in the city of Bryansk – at the place of the crime. The matter secret and doubtful, and what information allegedly passed on or would like to convey citizen Shur – is unknown.

Ukrainians hunting

If you examine the list of Ukrainian citizens being held in Russia on various charges (and it is only those which have at least some information), there is an impression, starting from May of last year, Ukraine has steadily sent into killers Russia, terrorists, spies, and Russian special services have to monitor the movement of all Ukrainians on the territory of our country and to seek out the criminals amongst them.

History of Ukrainian student Yuri Yatsenko, who a year spent in a Russian prison on charges of possession of gunpowder and was released “for otsizhennym” pretty much explains those interested as possible from ordinary Ukrainians “bungled” terrorist, spy, violator of the Geneva Convention and Basayev militants.

I’m not saying that all Ukrainians holy and do not commit any crimes, particularly in Russia. But those of whom I speak, – and there are about ten or so people – a people whose guilt is in serious doubt.

Why?

There is little doubt that many of them, Oleg Sentsov Alexander Kol’chenko Alexei Cirno, Gennady Afanasiev, were subjected to torture (torture, that passed through a student Yuri Yatsenko, read here ).

I hope that the 73-year-old Yuri Soloshenko and 58-year-old Victor Shura was not tortured, but that they “treated psychologically” and achieved result – almost no doubt.

Ukrainian Chechen ‘militants’

As for Stanislav Klyha Karpyuk and Nicholas , who are accused of involvement in the 1994 war on the side of the Chechen fighters and killing Russian soldiers, in respect of them, most likely, too, used the terrible torture.

The fate of these two Ukrainian citizens know almost nothing.

For nearly a year the Russian investigation (the North Caucasus region) does not allow them the consul meetings with their relatives do not allow letters from home for them do not reach.

More recently, it became known that Klyha family entered into an agreement with a Russian lawyer who will soon be familiar with the case of his client in Pyatigorsk.

Nikolai Karpyuk rumored to be contained in Vladikavkaz; it has been almost a year has not been seen – by agreement of counsel to him not to, and the last letter he received from his wife in April.

The trial of Nicholas and Stanislaw Karpyuk Klyha may begin in the fall in the Supreme Court of the Chechen Republic, Grozny.

Ukrainian-Russian “exchange fund”

When more than a year ago that I first came to Oleg Sentsova in jail “Lefortovo”, he said: “I very much hope that my country, for the unity of which I have fought, will not leave me in the lurch.”

A year has passed, ended the investigation, in other similar cases, too, will soon begin trials – and what about Ukraine?

Nothing.

As I said a Ukrainian official sympathetically related to the Ukrainians arrested in Russia: “We are in a war, people are dying, and the poor guy still sitting in prison, but alive. We are still very difficult to help them. “

And I understand it. Theoretically. Speculative.

But emotionally – I do not understand. Why because of strategic, political – what you like – the interests of the two countries have to suffer real people and their families? It’s lost months or years of life.

It is said that recently the new head of the SBU Vasiliy Gritsak said in a television interview that the SBU is investigating 40 criminal cases against the Ukrainians, who spied for Russia.

Maybe when all-all condemned in Russia and in Ukraine, it will be possible to change the “all for all”? And it will yield between the two warring countries?

73-year-old Yuri Soloshenko, former director of defense plant “Vympel” in Poltava, every time we visit him in his cell of the Lefortovo prison, asked hopefully: “You heard something about the lists of Ukrainian citizens on the exchange with the Russians? Say I go there the second number after Hope Savchenko. “

I have nothing to answer him, and I quickly translate a conversation about the weather and asking if he gives prison doctors cure for coronary artery disease.

Author: Zoya Svetova, journalist, member of the PMC in Moscow, winner of the Moscow Helsinki Group in the field of protection of human rights

Sourse, 10/07/2015