Russian security services arrested Sentsov and Kolchenko a year ago after their protest of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the under-the-gun referendum that followed.
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Two witnesses against Sentsov and Kolchenko have already been sentenced to lengthy terms in connection with the case after refusing to testify in court.
Sentsov did not shy away from politics during his trial, saying he believed Russians would reject their rulers just as Ukrainians rose up against the “criminal regime” of Yanukovich. Their alleged crimes included a plot to blow up a statue of Lenin in the Crimean capital, Simferopol, and setting fire to the local offices of pro-Russian political parties. “But, to describe it as terrorism seems… hard to stomach, really”. He also appealed to Russians during that speech, asking them stand up against their government as Ukrainians had done with the corrupt regime of deposed president Viktor Yanukovych a year ago.
“It played into Russia’s propaganda war against Ukraine and was redolent of Stalinist-era show trials”, said Heather McGill, a researcher at Amnesty global, according to the statement. Kolchenko was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday, Dinze said.
“It [the Sentsov case] doesn’t bode well for reconciliation”, Rutland said. The filmmaker was found guilty on Tuesday by a Russian court on charges of terrorism.
Police claimed bruises on Sentsov’s body were the result of sadomasochistic sex games prior to his detention. “And, that has not been done in the case of Sentsov”, she concluded. They made a petition in the hope of the release of Sentsov.
He recounted how Pontius Pilate, the biblical figure who is a character in Bulgakov’s novel, comes to realise that cowardice is the “greatest sin”. There has been less public support from Russia’s cultural elite, but directors Nikita Mikhalkov and Andrei Zvyagintsev have both publicly called for his release.
“We are very afraid that Oleg will be forgotten”, she said. They had been sentenced on “groundless allegations”, he added.
Acclaimed filmmakers from across the globe, including Spain’s Pedro Almodovar and Britain’s Mike Leigh, have written to Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing concern over Sentsov’s prosecution.
Ukraine has said that there are at least ten other Ukrainian citizens being held in Russian Federation on political charges – most face long sentences and human rights advocates allege many have been tortured.
Sentsov denied all charges against him. The court is expected to rule on the case as early as September.
Prosecutors originally asked for 23 years for Mr Sentsov and 12 for Mr Kolchenko.
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Russian authorities have shown themselves unwilling to brook any criticism of Crimea’s annexation-within days of the peninsula’s seizure, community leaders demonstrating against it began to be kidnapped by masked men.
