MOSCOW – At least 12 Russians convicted in Ukraine have been pardoned, Ukrainian lawyer Valentyn Rybin told Interfax (Interfax.ru).
“Decrees have been issued on pardoning in the region of 12 convicted Russians, who have been transferred from penitentiaries to a point of assembly for the individuals involved in the exchange. I think this is a preparation for an exchange procedure,” Rybin said.
One Russian on the exchange list has still not been brought to the assembly point, and no decree on his pardon has been issued, he said.
“This is Ruslan Gadzhiyev, who has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was on the list, but he has still not been delivered to the exchange point, and there is no decree on his pardon, either. I suppose Ukraine doesn’t want to give him up,” Rybin said.
The lawyer assumed that Ukraine’s refusal to give up Gadzhiyev might complicate the upcoming exchange.
