Russia has refused to hand over Oleksandr Kolchenko, convicted and imprisoned in Russia, to Ukraine, Deputy Justice Minister of Ukraine for European Integration Serhiy Petukhov has said.
“There was a similar refusal by Russia to hand over Kolchenko,” Petukhov wrote on his Facebook page on October 21.
He also posted a copy of the response of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation to the Ukrainian Justice Ministry to a request for Kolchenko’s handover for further serving his prison sentence.
“Kolchenko acquired Russian citizenship in accordance with Part 1 of Article 4 of the Federal Constitutional Law dated 21.03.2014 ‘On the Admission of the Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation and the Formation of New Entities – the Republic of Crimea and the Federal City of Sevastopol in the Russian Federation,” the document says.
Earlier on October 21, Petukhov reported that Russia refused to hand over Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov to Ukraine.
“Russia has refused to hand over Oleh Sentsov” he said on his Facebook page on October 21.
It was reported earlier that in August 2015, Russia’s North Caucasus District Military Court found Sentsov and Kolchenko guilty of establishing a terrorist group in Crimea, committing two terrorist attacks and plotting another one, and an attempt to acquire explosive devices. The two were also convicted of illegal storage of weapons. Sentsov was given 20 years in prison and Kolchenko 10 years.
Early this May, Sentsov and Kolchenko filled out forms for their extradition to Ukraine.
On June 1 the Russian Supreme Court refused to consider the appeal against the verdict of Sentsov and Kolchenko.
Kyiv has repeatedly said that the Sentsov-Kolchenko case is politically motivated.
