The Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the judgement made by the Russian Federation’s North Caucasus military court in Rostov-on-Don against Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov and the activist Oleksandr Kolchenko.
Oleg Sentsov and Oleksandr Kolchenko were on Ukrainian territory when they were illegally detained by Russian authorities for their opposition to the annexation of Crimea. This is a stark and clear breach of international law and human rights.
It is impermissible that a court in the Russian Federation is conducting a criminal prosecution for activities taking place outside the Russian Federation’s jurisdiction. We call upon Russia to release Oleg Sentsov and Oleksandr Kolchenko immediately, and to release them along with the other citizens of Ukraine that Russia has illegally incarcerated.
Oleg Sentsov and Oleksandr Kolchenko were arrested illegally in May 2014 while residing in Crimean territory and then transported to the Russian Federation where they were later charged with plotting terrorist acts.
