US Urges Russia to Release Volodymyr Balukh

Photo from Ukrinform–UATV

The United States urges Russia to release the political prisoner, Volodymyr Balukh, who is jailed in occupied Crimea, wrote the spokeperson for the U.S. Department of State, Heather Nauert, on Twitter.

“Russian occupation authorities in Crimea should release political prisoner Volodymyr Balukh, who has been on hunger strike for 43 days. Unacceptable for #Russia to jail a Ukrainian citizen for flying a Ukrainian flag in Crimea and deny him medical care,” Nauert wrote.

As of May 3, Balukh has been on an indefinite hunger strike for 45 days, that is since March 19.

Many human rights activists believe that Balukh was arrested for his pro-Ukraine stance. In December 2013, after the Euromaidan revolution in Kyiv, Balukh hoisted a Ukrainian flag over his house. It remained there even after the referendum in the spring of 2014, after which Russia annexed Crimea.

Balukh was detained in December 2016. They claim to have found a large number of ammunitions and explosions in his home. Balukh denies this information.

On August 2017, the  Rozdolnensky District Court sentenced Balukh to three years and seven months in prison, and a fine of 10 thousand Russian rubles. Later, his sentence was reduced by two months. On April 11, deputies of the Verkhovna Rada sent an appeal to Balukh to stop the hunger strike. “Ukraine needs living heroes. Your health and life will be the best part of Ukraine’s victory,” they wrote.

Another criminal case against the activist was opened on the basis of a statement from the head of the temporary detention center, in the village of Rozdolne in Crimea, Valery Tkachenko, who claims that Balukh had beaten him. However, the activist himself and his defense team said that it was Tkachenko who attacked Balukh.

Earlier, it was reported that the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will intensify pressure on Russia to release Balukh.