Ukraine’s ombudsperson demands that Russia reports on whereabouts of political prisoner Prykhodko

"The whereabouts of the illegally convicted Ukrainian political prisoner from Crimea, (Oleh – ed.) Prykhodko, remains unknown. Since early June, there has been no official confirmation of where a Ukrainian citizen is being held in Russia,” Denisova wrote on Telegram, according to Ukrinform.

Preliminary data suggest Prykhodko was transferred to the Russian city of Vladimir to serve his illegally imposed sentence. The last known location was the SIZO-1 detention facility in Rostov region, the ombudsperson noted.

Denisova has appealed to her counterpart Moskalkova, as well as the chief of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service, Alexander Kalashnikov, to reveal Prykhodko’s whereabouts and provide information about his health condition and medical and legal assistance provided.

The official has also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to ensure proper consular protection for Prykhodko.

Denisova has once again called on the international community to pursue political and sanctions pressure on Russia to ensure that the persecution and sham trials stop, and that all illegally convicted Ukrainian citizens be released.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on October 9, 2019, in the temporarily occupied Crimea, security forces detained Oleh Prykhodko, holding him overnight at the local FSB HQ before taking him for a search at his private garage where law enforcers further claimed they "found" explosives.

Prykhodko was arrested and charged with plotting a terror act and the illegal manufacture of explosives. The charges were later extended to include "illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of explosives" and plotting a blast at Russia’s Consulate General in Lviv.

On March 3, 2021, the Southern District Military Court in Russia’s Rostov-on-Don sentenced Prykhodko to 5 years in a maximum-security colony, with the first year of his sentence ruled to be spent in prison, as well as a RUB 110,000 ($1,500) fine.

On April 16, the prosecution appealed the ruling to increase Prykhodko's prison term to 11 years.

On May 17, a Russian appeals court upheld the five-year prison sentence.

The Memorial Human Rights Center recognized Prykhodko political prisoner.

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