Ukrainians appeal to football world to support Oleg Sentsov (VIDEO)

Ukrainian athletes, actors, musicians, writers and filmmakers recorded a series of video appeals calling for supporting the political prisoner Oleg Sentsov, who went on a hunger strike in the Russian colony demanding to release all Ukrainian political prisoners.

«We appeal to the whole football world. Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian film director, has been illegally detained in the Russia prison for four years. However, Oleg continues to struggle with Putin’s regime away from the Polar Circle. On May 14, 2018, he declared an indefinite hunger strike. He demands to release all Ukrainian political prisoners illegally retained by Russia. Let’s support Oleg. Together we will force Russia to play our rules,» Ukrainians urge.

In total, there are 17 similar videos. Authors ask to distribute them not only in Ukraine, but also abroad.

Let's remind, the political prisoner’s sister Natalia Kaplan said on the air in «Prime: Muzhdabaev» program on ATR TV channel that Oleg Sentsov went on a hunger strike before the World Cup, as this would help to pay attention to other political prisoners detained in the Russian Federation. As you know, the World Cup will be held in Russia in June and July 2018. Ukraine calls on its citizens to refrain from traveling to the championship in Russia.

As to the website «15 minutes», on May 29, the FSIN Department press service in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District reported that the Ukrainian political prisoner, and film director Oleg Sentsov, who announced an unlimited hunger strike on May 14, agreed to receive maintenance therapy.

Later Natalia Kaplan told that Sentsov’s relatives and his lawyer do not yet have any reliable information on receiving voluntarily the supportive therapy. The political prisoner’s lawyer Dmitry Dinze intends to visit Sentsov on June 4.

On May 14, Oleg Sentsov began his unlimited hunger strike demanding to release all Ukrainian political prisoners held by Russia.

There will be held the rallies in the whole world in support of Oleg Sentsov and other political prisoners on June 1-2.

As you know, in May 2014 in Crimea, Russian special services detained Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov. He was accused of creating a terrorist organization in Crimea, carrying out two terrorist attacks and preparing another one, as well as an attempt to acquire explosive devices and illegal storage of weapons. In August 2015, he was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison.