Torzhok court of Tver Oblast, Russia should consider the appeal of the defense of released Ukrainian activist Volodymyr Balukh on September 26. The appeal concerns his continuous stay in the punishment cell of the Russian colony, as Krym.Realii reported citing lawyer Olga Dinze.
“Due to the fact that Balukh left the colony with the personal file, the trial is postponed as we have some obstacles for the consideration. I continue to act in this direction. The next court session will take place on September 26. I would specify the claims, particularly, the moral reparations. Besides, I will insist on the consideration of the case within the materials, which I provided,” Dinze said.
Volodymyr Balukh was sent to the punishment cell of the Russian colony very often. The last time it happened at the end of July. Totally, he spent about two months in the cell.
Balukh was arrested on December 8, 2016, nine days after he nailed a plaque renaming his home No. 18 to “Heroes of Nebesna Sotnya St’ in memory of the over 100 Maidan activists who were killed during Euromaidan protests in Ukraine.
He had rejected the demands of the head of the local council to remove it. During an irregular ‘search’ of his home, 90 bullets and several TNT explosive devices were allegedly found in his attic.
September 10, 2018, the Supreme Court of occupied Crimea controlled by the Kremlin did not grant the appeal of Volodymyr Balukh’s lawyer Olga Dinze on his conditional release. It was noted that the activist participated in the session through a video conference from the remand prison.
On September 7, the prisoners’ exchange took place between Kyiv and Moscow in 35 for 35 format.
24 Ukrainian sailors and 11 political prisoners - already ex-political prisoners - captured by Russia over the past five years, returned to Ukraine. Faces of the released Ukrainian sailors, left activist Oleksandr Kolchenko, filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, journalist Roman Sushchenko, Crimean Tatar Edem Bekirov and the rest of former captives were seen in the crowd.
