Russian court to consider appeal of Euromaidan activist Kostenko in February

The North Caucasian District Military Court of Russia plans to consider the appeal of convicted Crimea resident Oleksandr Kostenko on February 11.

This was announced by his lawyer Dmitry Sotnikov on Facebook.

He recalled that Kostenko was abducted near his house on February 5, 2015. The police told his father that his son was detained by the FSB officers.

“Having inflicted injuries of moderate severity on Kostenko, they forced him to make a full confession, admitting that he threw a stone at the Berkut special police force officer on the Independence Square in Kyiv on February 18, 2014 putting a bruise on the forearm of the officer (light bodily injury),” the lawyer added.

During the trial, the court refused to take into account the statements on torture and to interrogate witnesses.

Kostenko was accused of “inflicting light bodily injury because of ideological hatred” on Berkut officer during the protests on Kyiv’s Independence Square.

Since the article does not provide for a large penalty, Kostenko was also accused of illegal possession of weapons. He was sentenced to four years and two months in prison. The term was later reduced by three months.