Euromaidan activist Kostenko not treated after being tortured – human rights defenders

Euromaidan activist Oleksandr Kostenko has not been given medical treatment during two months already.

“When Oleksandr Kostenko was being tortured, his arm was gravely broken in several places. We were demanding that he have operation for almost three months. Lawyer Dmitry Sotnikov appealed to the prison administration and other institutions many times. Kostenko was operated finally. His arm was in a plaster for several months,” Deputy Head of the Crimean Field Mission on Human Rights Olha Skrypnyk said to the Human Rights Information Centre.

According to her, the plaster was removed two months ago. However, the activist underwent very serious operation without taking “quality medicines” so his arm should be treated to be able to move and function normally.

“For this, a common doctor from the injury care center should come, look at the arm and determine which manipulations should be done and what medicines should be taken. The person is in a place of detention, so it’s not so easy for his mother to come to him with medications needed. For his mother to come, there should be prescription of a doctor, who does not come for two months. His mother has repeatedly called him. He always finds a reason to not come. Perhaps the doctor was intimidated. Maybe he is afraid and does not want to treat. However, it’s his duty,” the human rights activist noted.

According to her, since the verdict was pronounced, and the appeal was filed, he could be transferred to another prison.

“We do not even know where he will be delivered. But we understand that he is most likely to be transferred very far away. His mother will not be able to come there, and then the person will stay physically challenged,” Olha Skrypnyk said.

The human rights defenders of the Crimean Field Mission are going to appeal to Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Valeria Lutkovska.

“We will write to Mrs. Lutkovska. Perhaps, she will address Ella Pamfilova [Ombudsperson of the Russian Federation] and Ludmila Lubina [so-called “Human Rights Commissioner” of the occupied Crimea]. However, Lubina is well aware of the situation with Kostenko,” Olha Skrypnyk said.

In May 2015, the district court of Simferopol sentenced Euromaidan activist Oleksandr Kostenko to 50 months in a penal colony.

In the annexed Crimea, he was accused of injuring employee of the Crimean Berkut riot police Vitaly Polienko. Oleksandr Kostenko denied accusations. Earlier, he stated in his open letter he had experienced constant bullying, threats and demands to testify against Euromaidan activists. The defense claims the case has political background.

July 1, 2015, Russia’s Investigative Committee opened criminal proceeding against brother of the activist brother, Yevhen Kostenko over Article 297 of the Criminal Code of Russia (contempt of court). Human rights activists still can not find father of Oleksandr, Fedir Kostenko.

According to Euromaidan SOS human rights volunteer initiative, at least five prisoners are held for political reasons in the occupied Crimea now. They are defendants in the case of February 16 – Ahtem Chiygoz, Ali Asanov, Mustafa Degermendzhy, Euromaidan activist Oleksandr Kostenko, owner of a private foreign language school Yuri Ilchenko, as well as representatives of the Hizb ut-Tahrir movement.