MOSCOW, February 21 (RAPSI) – Ukrainian citizen Gennady Afanasyev, who had been earlier convicted in Russia of participating in the Right Sector movement’s activities, filed a complaint with Russia’s Constitutional court challenging a procedure of prison transfer, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday citing his lawyer Ramil Akhmetgaliyev.

Afanasyev appealed provisions of Russia’s Penal Court allowing, according to the lawyer, “to make arbitrary decisions on transfer of convicts to prisons”.

Akhmetgaliyev explained that the Federal Penitentiary Service may send convicts to a colony located in the most distant region from their families’ places of residence. The lawyer noted that family circumstances must be taken into account in reaching the decision on prison transfer.

In December 2014, Afanasyev was sentenced to seven years in prison by Russian court. In the summer of 2016, he was pardoned and released. The man was involved in a criminal case against film director Oleg Sentsov, sentenced to 20 years in prison for organizing a terrorist group in Crimea.

Right Sector is a Ukrainian association of radical nationalist organizations. In January and February 2014, its members clashed with police and seized administrative buildings in Kiev. Since April 2014, Right Sector has been involved in fighting the protest movement in eastern Ukraine.

In November 2014, Russia’s Supreme Court declared Right Sector an extremist group and banned its activity in Russia. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Right Sector leader Dmitry Yarosh for the alleged incitement of terrorism.

In January 2015, Right Sector was added to the Russian register of prohibited organizations.