Crimean activists sentenced after ‘fatally flawed’ military trial

“This whole trial was designed to send a message. It played into Russia’s propaganda war against Ukraine and was redolent of Stalinist-era show trials of dissidents,” said Heather McGill, Eurasia Researcher at Amnesty International.

“This trial was fatally flawed and credible allegations of torture and other ill-treatment have been ignored by the court. Both Oleg Sentsov and one of the main witnesses for the prosecution have alleged that they were tortured.

“Any testimony gained through torture and other ill-treatment must be thrown out, the ‘terrorism’ charges must be withdrawn, and Oleg Sentsov and Aleksandr Kolchenko should either be released or face a fair trial in a civilian court.”

International humanitarian law requires that Russia, as the occupying power in Crimea, prosecute any defendants in civilian courts under Ukrainian law.

For more information on the trial, please see:

‘The system does not forgive’ – Crimean activists hauled before a Russian military court:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/08/crimean-activists-hauled-before-a-russian-military-court/

Russia: ‘Terror’ trial of Ukrainian film director and activist:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/08/russia-terror-trial/

Press Release: August 25, 2015
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/russia-crimean-activists-sentenced-after-%E2%80%98fatally-flawed-military-trial