DISINFO: Many countries agreed that sentencing Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov is correct
SUMMARY
“Many countries have recognised Russia’s right for sentencing the Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov for terrorism,” said Mikhail Markelov, advisor to the head of the ‘Yedinaya Rossiya’ Party in the State Duma.
RESPONSE
On the contrary: in fact, many European leaders asked to release Sentsov.
The European Parliament has demanded that the Russian authorities immediately and unconditionally release Sentsov and more than 70 Ukrainian citizens illegally detained in Russia and on the Crimean peninsula. The EU has stated that it expects international human rights standards on the peninsula to be upheld and all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens in Russia and on the Crimean peninsula to be released without delay.
Oleh Sentsov was convicted in a Russian military court for terrorist offences. However, according to Amnesty International and PEN International, the trial itself was littered with irregularities: Sentsov said he was tortured, the main witness of the prosecution said his evidence had been extorted under torture and he said that no terrorist acts were committed. Moreover, Sentsov was not sentenced for offences committed on February 26, 2014. www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/25/russian-court-jails-ukrainian-filmmaker-oleg-sentsov-for-20-years-over-terror-offences
There were clashes between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian protesters on February 26, 2014, but there is no proof that Sentsov threw a nerve gas grenade into the crowd. Moreover, media reports suggest there was one death during the protest, and the man presumably died of a heart attack. edition.cnn.com/2014/02/26/world/europe/ukraine-politics/index.html