Denisova: political prisoner Shumkov returns to Ukraine on December 24

Oleksandr Shumkov, a Ukrainian political prisoner illegally convicted in Russia for participating in the Right Sector, is returning to Ukraine.

Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmila Denisova stated this at the presentation of the "Deputy, help Kremlin prisoners!" campaign, the Ombudsperson's Secretariat reported.

"On December 24, Kremlin prisoner Oleksandr Shumkov should return to Ukraine," Denisova said.

According to the Office of the Ombudsperson, Russia is currently politically persecuting 130 people, including 186 minors: 174 in the Crimea and 12 in the Ukrainian government-controlled territory.

"I support the initiative to take care of every Kremlin prisoner, and even better, his entire family. I appealed to President, First Lady, Prime Minister, ministers, mayors, and heads of regional state administrations to help these families," she said.

Denisova also noted that she had asked the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights, Tatyana Moskalkova, to visit Ukrainians held in remand prison # 1 and a penitentiary in Simferopol. According to the Ukrainian ombudsperson, the possibility of her visits is currently being approved by the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, where Moskalkova sent a letter.

Besides, Denisova plans to visit Ukrainians in Bashkortostan, where 12 people are being held.

Shumkov's case

Shumkov disappeared in September 2017. We later found out that he was in a Russian pre-trial detention facility, although he was legally inspected at the border with Russia on August 23, 2017. Russian law enforcement officials said that Shumkov had arrived in Russia on his own initiative, hiding from criminal prosecution in Ukraine. Besides, he allegedly announced his membership in the "Right Sector" at the border checkpoint. Shumkov told the court that in Ukraine he had been offered to smoke a cigarette with marijuana. After taking a pull, he fainted and woke up in Russia.

Shumkov was found guilty of "participating in the activities of an extremist organization." The Ukrainian pleaded not guilty. At the court hearing, Shumkov explained that he left the "Right Sector" in June 2014 and joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The "right sector" was banned in Russia only in November 2014.

According to the Russian investigation, the fact that Shumkov was the bodyguard of the ex-leader of the PS Dmytro Yarosh indicates his "significant role in the organization." Besides participating in the Right Sector, Shumkov was accused of participating in the civil blockade of Crimea in September 2015 and of "a series of actions aimed at intimidating residents of the Kherson region who protested against the blockade of Crimea and called for resuming economic and political relations with Russia."