London calls on Moscow to release Ukrainian political prisoners

Britain calls on Moscow to release Oleg Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Oleksandr Shumkov, Volodymyr Balukh and dozens of other Ukrainian political prisoners who were detained and convicted in Russia, according to a statement posted on the website of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

"We are deeply concerned about the welfare of the four Ukrainian nationals held by Russia, who are on hunger strike in protest against Russia's continued detention of Ukrainian political prisoners. Their imprisonment, and that of many more Ukrainians who have been jailed by Russia, appears politically motivated. We call on the Russian authorities to release them immediately," the statement reads.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office emphasized that the Ukrainians had been given lengthy jail sentences following trials which appeared to fall well short of international standards.

"These cases, including over 70 others against Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, underline the Russian Federation's systematic persecution of those who voice their opposition to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea," the document says.

It notes that Russia's control over Crimea remains illegal and illegitimate, and is a flagrant violation of a number of Russia's international commitments.