You're reading: Chechnya court finds Ukrainians Karpyuk and Klykh guilty of murder

Ukrainian citizens Mykola Karpyuk and Stanislav Klykh, considered by Ukraine as political prisoners in Russia since their imprisonment two years ago, were found guilty of murder in Grozny, Chechnya on May 19. The verdict will be final next week.

Russian authorities in Chechnya say they participated
in military combat during the Chechen War back in 1994-1995 and are guilty of murder and attempted murder against Russia officials.

Both Karpyuk and Klykh, who are considered hostages of Russia, say they are innocent and weren’t in Chechnya at this time.

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko hopes that
the two Ukrainians will be released.

“I have made and will make every effort to release
Mykola Karpyuk and Stanislav Klykh whom we consider to be Ukrainian prisoners
in Russia because of political reasons,” Poroshenko wrote on his Twitter
account after the trial in Chechnya. He added that, according to the Minsk II Agreement,
all prisoners have to be released.


Activists stand under the Stella Monument at Maidan Nezalezhnosti, supporting Ukrainian hostage in Chechnya Mykola Karpyuk in his birthday on May 21.

The court’s position was based only on the testimony
of Ukrainian citizen Oleksandr Malofeev, who said that he saw Karpyuk and Klykh
fighting in Chechnya in 1994, according to Russia’s Novaya Gazeta news source.

Malofeev is sentenced for 24 years in prison
in Russia for supposedly fighting in the Chechen War in 1997. Before that, he
was convicted of robbery at least three times in Crimea, and once in Russia.

Malofeev didn’t name the place where he fought, while
Karpyuk’s lawyer Dokka Itslaev said that federal troops were withdrawn from
Chechnya in December 1996, so it is unclear how Malofeev was able to fight in
Chechnya when the war no longer took place.

The Russian court didn’t present any facts of the
death of Russian soldiers allegedly killed by Karpyuk and Klykh.

According to Karpyuk’s relatives, he was kidnapped on
the Russian border in March 2014.

Before being captured, Karpyuk was a member of both
the Ukrainian Right Sector political party and the National Assembly-Ukrainian
People’s Self-Defense (NA-UPSD) organization, both which are forbidden in
Russia. At least two of his associates from Right Sector – Oleksandr Muzychko
and Ihor Mazur – fought in Chechnya, according to NA-UPSD.

Besides Karpyuk and Klykh, ex-Prime Minister Arseniy
Yatsenyuk, and Ukrainian politician Oleh Tyahnybok’s two brothers are also
accused of participating in the Chechen War.

While Karpyuk was an active participant of the radical
organization, Klykh taught history in university and has two university
degrees.

Klykh was captured in August 2014 in Russia, and faces
the same prison term as Karpyuk. His
attorney Marina Dubrovina said to the Kyiv Post in September that to Klykh was
tortured and forced to sign documents that would testify that he was guilty.

“He was tortured,” Dubrovina said. “If he said
something they didn’t want – they electrocuted him. He could hardly hold a pen
because he was hanged by his wrists.”

Both of the hostages suffered from tortures. During the trial, Klyh lifted his leg and
showed the signs of burns on his feet.

To show their support for the imprisoned Ukrainians in
Russia, citizens gathered in Kyiv at Maidan Nezalezhnosti to support Karpyuk on
his birthday on May 21, taking photos and sending him birthday wishes.