You're reading: Ukraine’s Sentsov placed in punishment cell

Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who was convicted of terrorism in Russia, has been placed in a punishment cell of the penal colony where he is serving his sentence, according to Head of the Agora international human rights organization Pavel Chikov.

“Oleg after his transfer to the colony ended up in a punishment cell,” he wrote on his Telegram-channel.

In turn, lawyer Dmitry Dinze, who represents Sentsov’s interests, has so far refrained from commenting on the reasons for his client being put in a punishment cell.

The North Caucasus Military Court in Rostov-on-Don ruled in August 2015 to sentence Sentsov, who had been detained in Crimea in 2014, to 20 years in a high-security penitentiary on charges of setting up a terrorist group in Crimea.

Sentsov is serving his sentence high-security correctional facility number eight (also dubbed Polar Bear) is located just outside the Yamalo-Nenets town of Labytnangi. Its inmates are male convicts sentenced for serious and very serious crimes.

The Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly called the Sentsov case politically motivated. In May 2016, he filled out documents for a transfer to Ukraine to serve his term there. The Russian Supreme Court declined to review his appeal. The Ukrainian Justice Ministry said in fall 2016 that Russia had refused to extradite the Ukrainian.