Archbishop Kliment: We must exert maximum efforts to bring Balukh out of his hunger strike

On Thursday, April 5, the Crimean Supreme Court rejected the defense’s appeal to change the restraint measure to Ukrainian political prisoner Vladimir Balukh.

Balukh’s defense asked to change the restraint measure for the political prisoner on a house arrest, as his health worsens. Nevertheless, the judge Konstantin Karaev upholds the decision of the first instance court, thus Vladimir Balukh will remain in the pretrial detention center.

The Ukrainian himself during the hearing was unable to comment on anything and participate in the debate.

«I have no strength to say anything, since I have been starving for 18 days, and continue this farce yourself», the only thing he said during the court meeting.

Balukh’s public defender archbishop Kliment commenting on to ATR TV channel said that Crimean’s health was critical.

«The Ukrainian political prisoner, Vladimir Balukh’s health is critical. Now it is necessary to exert maximum efforts to get him out of the hunger strike and avoid his death. Because by external signs and his face, there starts irreversible processes, and his health is too weird», said the archbishop.

He added that a foremost and important thing is to bring Balukh out of his hunger strike.

«My task is now to get to Volodya Balukh in any case and talk to him asking him to emerge step by step from a hunger strike. When talking with him in the court, I asked him not to neglect his health. We need Volodya Balukh to be alive, not dead», the priest added.

On March 19, 2018, Vladimir Balukh announced an indefinite hunger strike with a demand to cancel the illegal sentence of imprisonment for 3 years and 5 months in the colony.

As «15 minutes» reported, there took place a court hearing on a new criminal case against Ukrainian political prisoner Vladimir Balukh in the Razdolnenskiy District Court in Crimea on April 2, 2018. During the meeting, the court allowed the archbishop Kliment to be a public defender for the prisoner.

As it is known, on August 4, 2017, the Crimean Razdolnenskiy District Court sentenced Ukrainian activist Vladimir Balukh for 3 years and 7 months in a general regime colony. Moreover, the court ordered the activist to pay a fine per 10 thousand rubles. On October 2, 2017, the Crimean Supreme Court abolished the verdict to Vladimir Balukh and sent his case to a new trial. On December 1, 2017, the Razdolnenskiy District Court changed the restraint measure to Vladimir Balukh. The political prisoner was released from the pretrial detention center and put for house arrest.

Earlier, the FSS officers conducted a search in Vladimir Balukh’s and his mother’s house on December 8, 2016. The day before, Balukh was threatened with police for hanging a street sign on his house wall in honor of the Heroes of Heavenly Hundreds. Balukh for his pro-Ukrainian position was repeatedly persecuted by the authorities. Police officers conducted the searches in his house twice. After the second search, Balukh was accused of insulting a policeman Yevgeniy Baranov and sentenced to 320 hours of compulsory work.