Human rights defenders named 20 people, who are involved in persecution of activist Balukh and demand to impose sanctions against them

Human rights organizations called the names of 20 people involved in the persecution of pro-Ukrainian activist Volodymyr Balukh in Crimea and asked the governments of the world’s leading countries to impose personal against them.

As stated in an open appeal initiated by the Crimean Human Rights Group, the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union and the Human Rights Information Centre.

“We are appealing to the governments of the EU Member-States, Switzerland, Norway, Montenegro, Iceland, Albania, Liechtenstein, the USA, Canada, Australia, and Japan and are asking to introduce personal sanctions for the persons linked to the persecution of Volodymyr Balukh, a Crimean prisoner of conscience, as well as for strengthening sectoral sanctions against the Russian Federation for gross and repeated violations of human rights in Crimea”, – wrote the authors of the appeal.

They remind that on August 4, 2017, while violating the fundamental human rights and international humanitarian law provisions, the Crimean Occupation Court passed a sentence on Volodymyr Balukh, Ukrainian. Maria Bedritskaya, “a judge of Razdolnensky District Court”, handed him to a three-year and seven-month sentence in the penal colony settlement as well as imposed a fine of 10,000 rubles.

Human rights defenders note that the persecution of Volodymyr Balukh is politically reasoned, and he himself a prisoner of conscience, for he is in custody only because of his opinions peacefully expressed.

According to the data collected and recorded by the Crimean Human Rights Group, at least twenty persons are linked to illegal persecution of Volodymyr Balukh and his deprivation of liberty including:

Crimea “FSB” officers:

• Aleksey Luk’yanov, head of “RF UFSB for Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol City” unit, (town of Krasnoperekopsk);
• Colonel Sergey Voronin, head of “RF UFSB for Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol City”, citizen of Russia (from July 1, 2017 appointed head of RF FSB of the Kabardino-Balkarian republic);
• Victor Palagin, head of “RF FSB Department for Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol City”, citizen of Russia;
• Bruyev, investigation officer of “RF UFSB for Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol City”;
• Denis Zabara, “field agent of RC UFSB”, citizen of Ukraine.

“Judges” of courts created in Crimea:

• Alexander Abeliashev, “judge of Razdolnensky District Court of RC”, citizen of Ukraine;
• Victor Skliarov, deputy chairman of “RC Supreme Court”, citizen of Ukraine;
• Mariya Bedritskaya, “judge of Razdolnensky District Court of RC”, citizen of Ukraine;
• Anatoliy Osochenko, “judge of RC Supreme Court”, citizen of Ukraine.

Crimea “Prosecutor’s Office” staff:

• Dmitriy Korolev, “prosecutor of Razdolnensky District RC prosecutor’s office”;
• Olesya Cheplanova, “prosecutor”, citizen of Ukraine.

Police officers and investigation committee of Russia in Crimea:

• Nikolay Shuba, “head of Russia OMVD for Razdolnensky District”, citizen of Ukraine;
• Olga Ukhina, “interrogator of Russia OMVD OD for Razdolnensky District”, citizen of Russia;
• Evgeniy Bobrov, Alexander Lopatin, citizen of Ukraine, A.Konovalov, “policemen”;
• Aleksey Leonov, “lead investigator, OVD unit, Krasnoperekopsk RF UFSB for RC and Sevastopol City, citizen of Ukraine;
• V.Didik, “deputy officer on duty of Russia OMVD police unit for Razdolnensky District”;
• Mr O.V.Sorgovskiy, “investigator of Russia OMVD OUR for Razdolnensky District”;
• Sergey Burnashov, “lead inquiry officer of Razdolnensky MSO, Russia SK GSU for RC”.