No man is an island, even if his voice was drowning in dirty
mud of lies and captured in the nightmares of tortures. Naturally, when one is
striving for a better life for his friends and the territorial integrity of his
own nation, there are always those who will stand up and fight for him. No
doubt, it is definitely so for the so-called “Crimean case".
This includes, in particular, Oleg Sentsov (39) and
Alexander Kolchenko (25). They were the first two of more than 10 other
hostages of the Kremlin powers to have become victims in Russia’s war against
Ukraine, most of whose names are unfortunately unknown to activists yet.
What is the most interesting, the detainees' lives, whom
Russia considers to be a terroristic network, were even not related to each
other before imprisonment. At least, except for supporting the security and
territorial integrity of their homeland,
especially in protest of illegal seizure of the Ukrainian Crimea by
Russian troops. Indeed, such actions simply couldn't have been ignored and
forgiven by the Russian regime, which has long got used to producing fake
evidence.
Actually, both Sentsov and Kolchenko were those, who opposed
the illusions and supported national unity. Oleg Sentsov himself is a Ukrainian
filmmaker, best known for his 2011 film “Gamer”, that successfully debuted at
the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2012 and a number of other
succeeding festivals. But his further work at the feature "Rhino" had
to be postponed, because of every effort provided to maintain the goals of the
Revolution of Dignity. On the inception of the Euromaidan protest movement in
November 2013 Sentsov joined the activists of “AutoMaidan” and during the
following 2014 Crimean crisis he was helping in delivering food and supplies to
Ukrainian servicemen blockaded at their Crimean bases. He was arrested in his
native city of Simferopol (Crimea) in May 2014 at his own home.
The same fate befell student and public activist Alexander
Kolchenko, arrested in May 2014 in Simferopol as well. Refusal to accept the
citizenship and lies of Russia cost him a detention in Moscow under accusations
of terrorism and illegal keeping of explosives. In fact, among other things, he
is blamed for setting fire to the office of the United Russia party branch in Simferopol
in mid-April 2014.
On August 25, 2015 two Ukrainian citizens, Oleg Sentsov and
Alexander Kolchenko, within a showcase trial were given a prison sentence of 20
and 10 years, respectively.
After holding Sentsov and Kolchenko without charges for three
weeks, Russia’s Federal Security Service (better known as FSB) in its statement
also even forged them into a “part of a terrorist community, to carry out
explosions with home-made devices". The FSB accused them of seeking to
carry out terrorist attacks on bridges, power lines, and public monuments in
the Crimean cities of Simferopol, Yalta, and Sevastopol.
In other words, following the Kremlin's directives, the FSB
has simply decided to collate these people standing up against the annexation
of Crimea and call them the “terrorist and sabotage group of Sentsov.”
So after the arrest they obviously got almost the same
accusations: p. “A” s. 1, Art. 205.4
("creating a terrorist group"), p. “A” s. 2, Art. 205
("terrorist act committed by an organized group of persons by prior
agreement), s. 1, Art. 30 (preparation and attempt to commit a crime"), p.
3. 222 of the Criminal Code of Russia (“illegal acquisition and possession of
ammunition by an organized group of persons by prior agreement”).
Incredibly the Russian prosecutors have managed to make the
whole case even more absurd by further claiming Sentsov and Kolchenko were
members of Ukrainian nationalist paramilitary group, Right Sector, which was
openly denied even by Right Sector itself. And still it is noteworthy that in
pledging for reason and humanity, nonetheless, "the Crimean case"
truly demonstrates a fight with a machine far from logic and common sense.
Astonishingly, the very name of the "Sentsov
group" today has already transformed into another sign of Ukrainian
liberation struggle in the on-going war with Russia; and also of a community of
those who suffer for freedom and those who protect them in overcoming the
fabricated facts. However, the very fabric, the whole story has been made of, someday
soon will choke its weavers, as it has well covered them with shame and
disregard of the whole civilized international community.
What is important to keep in mind is that the voices of
Ukrainians illegally detained in Russia will sound as long as we are aware of
the fact that the destiny of a nation depends on the freedom and rights
guaranteed to its citizens. And what can be outspoken today may change the
upcoming tomorrow.
Significantly, the very story of Gennadyi Afanasyev, another
Ukrainian activist sentenced to 7 years of prison on December 17, 2014, proves the power of such a word in
action. The most stunning about the case is that initially it was Afanasyev's
evidence to have become a basis of the charges against Sentsov, Kolchenko and
himself as well; even despite a doubt, numerously expressed by his lawyer, Ilya
Novikov, as for its unforced nature.
Finally, it was on July 31, 2015, when Gennadyi rejected his
previous evidence, speaking as a prosecution witness at the trial of the former two of his fellow
citizens. The young Ukrainian has uncovered the truth and said it was given
under pressure. However hard, but it is possible to imagine being beaten with
boxing gloves, put on a gas mask closing the air inside or injecting gas into
the mask, or even tortured with electric shocks and threatened to be raped with
a soldering iron, either deprived of sleep for ten days - all of which is
directed at simply vanishing one's human conscience and forcing to sign the
necessary investigation testimony. According to Ilya Novikov, that very kind of
nightmare was created for Gennadyi.
Nevertheless, it can be seen that true human dignity can
never be abolished. As it is impossible to live in the shadows of an illusion,
no matter how badly casted by those in fear of reality. That is why after
Afanasyev's words, proving the innocence of Ukrainian hostages, it seemed like
the whole free and democratic world had joined Sentsov and Kolchenko in their
energetic exclaiming of "Glory to Ukraine!"
