This week marks three years since prominent Ukrainian writer and filmmaker Oleg Sentsov was arrested. Sentsov was later sentenced to 20 years in prison on terrorism charges after an unfair trial by a Russian military court, marred by allegations of torture.
PEN fears that Oleg Sentsov was imprisoned for his opposition to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and calls on the Russian authorities to release him immediately. Should there be grounds for prosecution on charges of terrorism, these should be heard by a civilian court under Ukrainian law.
For further background information, please visit the PEN International website.
TAKE ACTION
Spread the word
Share information about Oleg Sentsov and your campaigning activities via social media #FreeSentsov
Read and share Oleg’s work
Read his letter smuggled out of prison in September 2016 as well as the moving message he sent to our colleagues at PEN America in April 2016 in response to winning the 2017 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award.
Send a message of support
If you would like to send a message of support to Oleg Sentsov and his family please contact [email protected] for more details.
Write to the authorities
Please send appeals:
- Urging the Russian authorities to release Oleg Sentsov immediately;
- Should there be grounds to prosecute Oleg Sentsov on charges of terrorism, these should be heard by a civilian court under Ukrainian law, as required by international humanitarian law. Any testimony obtained through torture or other ill-treatment must be excluded from proceedings;
- Calling on the Russian authorities to order an independent and impartial investigation into Oleg Sentsov’s allegations of torture and other ill-treatment. Anyone against whom there is sufficient admissible evidence of responsibility should be brought to justice.
Send appeals to:
Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation
Yuri Yakovlevich Chaika
Prosecutor General’s Office
ul. B. Dmitrovka, d.15a
125993 Moscow GSP- 3
Russian Federation
Human Rights Ombudsman of the Russian Federation
Tatiana Nikolaevna Moskalkova
ul. Miasnitskaia, 47
107084, Moscow
Russian Federation
Send copies to the Embassy of Russia in your own country. Embassy addresses may be found here: https://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/russia.
Please inform PEN of any action you take and of any responses you receive.