Ukrainian ombudswoman not allowed to meet with jailed Sentsov:
By RFE/RL
Ukrainian ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova says she was not allowed to meet with jailed Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov.
Denisova wrote on Facebook on June 28 that she flew to Russia's far-northern region of Yamalo-Nenets, with her Russian counterpart, Tatyana Moskalkova, aboard one plane, but Moskalkova later took a separate route to reach the village of Labytnangi, where Sentsov is serving his prison term.
Hours later, Denisova wrote on Facebook that she was not allowed to enter the penal colony, but Moskalkova and her associates were allowed access into the penitentiary’s territory in four SUVs.
Moskalkova's "motorcade passed me, although she clearly saw me. Such a demonstrative behavior poses one question -- how is she going to implement agreements reached by two presidents [Russian and Ukrainian], nothing to say about guarantees given to me by the Russian president that I can freely and without any obstacles meet with all Ukrainian political prisoners [kept in Russia]," Denisova wrote.
Ukrainian, Russian ombudswomen to meet with Sentsov:
By RFE/RL
Ukrainian ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova and her Russian counterpart, Tatyana Moskalkova, have arrived in Russia's far-northern region of Yamalo-Nenets, where they plan to meet with jailed Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov.
Denisova wrote on Facebook on June 28 that she flew to the region in the same plane with Moskalkova, but later took a separate route to reach the village of Labytnangi, where Sentsov is serving his prison term.
On June 15, Denisova was not allowed to meet with Sentsov despite previously reached agreements.
Crimea native Sentsov, 41, is serving a 20-year prison term in Russia after being convicted on terrorism charges that he and human rights groups say were politically motivated.
He has been on hunger strike since May 14, demanding the release of 64 Ukrainian citizens he considers political prisoners.
Western governments and rights organizations have called for Sentsov to be released, and the Russian human rights group Memorial considers him to be a political prisoner.
Several groups have called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to pardon Sentsov, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Ukrainian film director would have to ask for the pardon himself before it could be considered.
Sentsov's lawyer, Dmitry Dinze, said on June 22 that Sentsov would not submit a request for a pardon as he considered himself innocent.
Ukrainian due to be released from Russian prison put in solitary confinement:
By the Crimea Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
A Ukrainian activist jailed in Russia has been put in solitary confinement weeks before his scheduled release, a human rights organization says.
Yana Goncharova of the RosUznik rights group told RFE/RL on June 27 that an administrator at a penal colony in the town of Kirovo-Chepetsk told her that Oleksandr Kostenko had been "punished for systemic violation of the penitentiary's internal order."
According to Goncharova, Kostenko, whose prison term is due to end on August 3, is concerned that the prison administration is imposing more restrictions on him so close to his scheduled release.
Kostenko was sentenced to four years and two months in 2015 after a court in Russia-annexed Crimea convicted him of attacking security troops in February 2014 during protests in the Ukrainian capital against pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Kostenko was also found guilty of illegally obtaining, keeping, and carrying parts of a firearm.
He rejected the charges and pleaded not guilty, saying the case against him was politically motivated. Kostenko's prison term was later shortened by eight months.
Crimea was forcibly occupied and annexed in March 2014 by Russia, which characterizes Yanukovych's ouster during the pro-European protests known as Euromaidan as a Western-backed "coup."
One hundred countries in the United Nations have condemned Russia's annexation of Crimea as a violation of international law.
The takeover of Crimea and Russian support for separatists in eastern Ukraine prompted the United States, the European Union, and others to impose sanctions on Russia.