Only continuation of the sanctions against Russia by the international community will help free Ukrainian political prisoners, Hennadiy Afanasyev, who returned to Ukraine after a long imprisonment in Russia, said.
“There was an appeal to the whole of the global community to continue the sanctions, because they are working, so it is necessary to continue them. Then all our citizens will return home,” he said at a press conference in Kyiv.
Afanasyev spoke about the tortures that were applied to him in Russia, and expressed regret that he was forced to testify against Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov and Oleksandr Kolchenko, who were also imprisoned and convicted in Russia.
“They (the Russians) demanded I sign a confession of guilt, and did everything to achieve this… These people forced me to say that I am guilty, I am a terrorist, I was forced to give evidence against Sentsov and Kolchenko,” he said.
Afanasyev called on all political prisoners held in Russia to believe that Kyiv will do everything to return them to their homeland.
He also said that his health has somewhat improved, however he said he is not undergoing rehabilitation. “I’m not undergoing rehabilitation,” he said adding that he is taking medicine prescribed by doctors.
Afanasyev also expressed regret that he cannot return home to Crimea. According to him, now he lives in Kyiv, he has already met with relatives of Ukrainian political prisoners held in Russia.
