Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Balukh has been transported from Crimea to serve his sentence in Russia’s mainland, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said.
“Balukh has departed to serve the remainder of his sentence in the Russian Federation’s mainland and his lawyer was informed about that in a timely manner,” the press service for the human rights commissioner said on Tuesday.
A number of Ukrainian media said earlier that Balukh had “mysteriously disappeared” from a pre-trial detention facility in Crimea, the press service said.
The office of the ombudsman expressed surprise that “the lawyer, who defends Balukh’s interests, failed to inform his family and loved ones about that on time.”
“I understand concern and nervousness of Balukh’s relatives. However, in accordance with the Russian legislation, neither relatives nor lawyers are informed about the final place where a convict is to serve the sentence until they arrive there. Usually, such travel, to the place the convict is sent to in order to serve the term, takes from two weeks to one month,” Moskalkova said.
“I would like to alleviate concerns of Volodymyr’s wife and parents, the management of the FSIN [Federal Penitentiary Service] assured me that he is in good health and has not made any complaints about his health,” he said.
“As soon as Balukh arrives to the place where he is to serve his sentence, his lawyer and relatives will be immediately informed about that,” Moskalkova said.
On December 2016, Balukh was detained in Crimea. Ammunition and TNT blocks were found in the attic of his wife’s house.
In July 2018, Crimea’s Razdolnensky District Court sentenced Balukh to five years in a penal colony for illegal possession of arms and explosives.
Balukh said he believes the case was falsified.
Ukraine considers Balukh a political prisoner and calls for swapping him for Russians held in custody in its territory.
On January 25, 2019, the Kerch City Court denied Balukh’s release on parole.
