Oleh Prykhod’ko, a Ukrainian activist from Crimea, was added four and a half years more under two new charges
As the CHRG informs, on November 7, the 2nd Western Area Military Court in Moscow sentenced Mr.Oleh Prykhod’ko to 4 years and six months in the colony and a RUR110,000 fine under articles of “justification of terrorism in public” (CC Article 205.2-1) and “rehabilitation of Nazism” (CC Article 354.1-1). The case was initiated by RF FSB department for Vladimir Region.
The Russian media write that according to the investigation, Prykhod’ko was allegedly “promoted terrorist attacks” and “approved of Hitler’s actions” in World War II in conversations with convicts in one of the colonies in the Vladimir Region. In addition, he is said “to have repeatedly spoken about the necessity and permissibility of mass physical elimination of residents of Crimea and Donbass who disagree with the policy of the Kiev regime.”
As Nataliya Shvetsova, Prykhodko’s daughter, told “SUSPIL”NE” TV Channel, “Prykhod’ko is being constantly sent to the punishment isolation cell, he no longer hopes to get out of prison alive.”
“You see, this is the situation here, at first he was inflicted a company of these soldiers – POWs as if he knew them, then there were planted “rat faces” in the cell. All this was recorded… The lawyer says that he cursed a lot, shouted, was not restrained… As long as he is there in Krasnodar, he stays in the cell for seven days or for three days – and then again for 15 days in the punishment cell. They have been victimizing him there, they just want to kill him… They are pressuring him, intimidating him, intimidating using us: they are saying that we will be planted something. “Where is your Ukraine? Your relatives will be in jail right here. The wife and the daughter will be in jail right here. We’ll plant something and it is done,” she said.
In addition, her elderly father is not provided with any medical care, no medicines are transferred, and the parcel was taken away. Because he complained in writing thereof, he was placed again in the punishment cell. The prison staff also takes half of the money.
To remind:
- On October 9, 2019, Oleh Prykhod’ko was detained by the FSB. They came to his home in the village of Orikhove, Saky District, and announced that they would “inspect” the garages. While seeking through his place, the security men seized Ukrainian symbols, flags of the SVOBODA (“Freedom”)party, red and black flags, a portrait of Stepan Bandera, hardware and home CDs. Oleh Prykhod’ko was charged with the manufacture and storage of an improvised explosive device as well as with the intention to blow up the building of the “Saky District Administration”.
- The Ukrainian repeatedly stated in court that he had not committed or planned any crimes, that the case against him was completely fabricated, that he was being persecuted for his pro-Ukrainian position.
- On March 3, 2021, the Southern Area Military Court in Rostov-na-Donu, Russian Federation, sentenced Oleh Prykhod’ko to 5 years in the maximum security regime penal colony with serving the first year in prison.
- On May 17, the RF Military Court of Appeal upheld the sentence.
- The human rights defenders demand to release Oleh Prykhod’ko and all other Crimean political prisoners.
The Crimean Human Rights Group reminds that Mr.Oleh Prykhod’ko, citizen of Ukraine, was convicted on a fabricated case, accused of possessing explosives and preparing a terrorist attack, but the investigation never provided actual evidence of committing the “crime” that is consistent with the FSB’s practice of persecuting Crimeans for political reasons. The real reason for the persecution of the Ukrainian is his public disagreement with the occupation of Crimea, which he repeatedly expressed in the mass media and in communication with representatives of the occupation authorities of the Russian Federation in Crimea. Oleh Prykhod’ko participated in the Euromaidan and after the occupation of the peninsula in 2014 raised the Ukrainian flag in the yard of his own house.
