MOSCOW, December 10 (RAPSI) – The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has communicated an application filed by filmmaker Oleg Sentsov and Alexander Kolchenko sentenced in Russia to 20 years and 10 years in prison respectively for organizing a terrorist group in Crimea, the press-service of the court has stated.

The applicants challenged actions of Russian courts and said that in their case their testimonies were obtained during torture while evidence was forged. The applicants also insist that their prosecution was politically motivated.

In addition, Sentsov accuses officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of cruelty and derogatory treatment, noting that investigations into his appeals were unsuccessful. ECHR will ask Russian government if the filmmaker was subjected to cruel or humiliating treatment. Among other questions, the Court is interested whether the trial of citizens of Ukraine was independent.

Earlier, ECHR agreed to intervene into the lengthy hunger strike by Senstsov, called for its end and asked the applicant to receive medical help.

According to the statement of Russian Federal Penitentiary Facility, best Moscow nutritional specialists have prepared a special menu for Sentsov to help him eat a wholefood diet step by step.

The North Caucasus District Military Court convicted and sentenced Sentsov in August 2015. Another defendant in the case Alexander Kolchenko received 10 years in prison.

Investigators found that Sentsov started a terrorist group in Crimea, a branch of the Right Sector movement banned in Russia. He was allegedly promoting Crimea’s secession from Russia.

In May 2018, Sentsov went on hunger strike demanding release of all Ukrainian citizens convicted and jailed in Russia. In autumn, he agreed to end it.