In Crimea imprisoned activist Balukh is humiliated on the premise of being an ethnic Ukrainian
Ukrainian activist Volodymyr Balukh, who is illegally kept in Crimean custody for raising the Ukrainian flag, reported about the humiliating attitude and discrimination based on ethnicity on the part of temporary detention centre workers in the village of Razdolne.
As reported by the Crimean Human Rights Group, the Crimean Ombudsman and representatives of the Ombudsman of the Russian Federation visited the temporary detention centre in relation to appeal made by Balukh and his lawyers.
Balukh stated that the staff insulted him for revealing his ethnicity.
In addition, Balukh asked to the difficult physical condition of his cellmate Leonid Karetsky, who is suspected of selling drugs, from the city of Kerch. Karetsky’s leg is rotting, there are signs of Parkinson’s disease, but he is not transferred to a hospital for diagnosis and treatment.
“In a telephone conversation the Secretary of the Office of the Crimean Ombudsman refused to comment on the visit to Balukh, adding that if there is official information then it will be published on the website”, – reported by Crimean Human Rights Group.
As a reminder, On December 8, 2016, FSB conducted searches in the house of Ukrainian activist Volodymyr Balukh and his mother in the village of Serebryanka, Razdolnensky district of Crimea. Volodymyr Balukh was detained after the searches. Law enforcers claimed that they have found ammunition and several TNT blocks were found in the attic.
On December 12 Razdolnensky District Court of Crimea has chosen a measure of restraint for Balukh in the form of detention for a month. The court disregarded the fact that the procedural documents were drafted with significant violations.
On March 2, it became known that the court extended the arrest of Balukh until June 4, 2017.
The persecution of Balukh has been going on since the spring of 2015 and the mass media reported about the trial against the activist since early 2016.
In December 2013, with the beginning of the Maidan, Volodymyr hung the Ukrainian flag on the roof of his house, which remained there after the occupation of Crimea by Russia. He openly declared his refusal to recognize the annexation.
