MOSCOW, August 3 (RAPSI) – Ukraine’s ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova has proposed to exchange film director Oleg Sentsov sentenced in Russia to 20 years in prison for organizing a terrorist group in Crimea for ex-Russian serviceman Aleksey Sedikov convicted by a Ukrainian court of terrorism.
Moreover, Ukraine is considering options to swap the Russian national not only for Sentsov or Ukrainian activist Alexander Kolchenko sentenced to 10 years in Russian prison for plotting terrorist attacks in Crimea, but for Stanislav Klykh imprisoned for 20 years for fighting in Chechnya or Vladimir Balukh serving sentence for illegal ammunition storage, according to Denisova’s letter to the Russian Presidential Council for Human Rights released on the advisory body’s website on Friday.
The Ukrainian ombudsman stated that Sentsov, Klykh and Balukh had gone on hunger strike, and the health of Kolchenko had worsened. Denisova believes it is necessary to exchange prisoners for their health maintenance and delivery of required care. She also claims that Russian convict Sedikov needs serious surgery operation.