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Crimea and Sevastopol

Ukraine protests against conviction of two Ukrainian nationals by Russian court

The court sentenced Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov and Alexander Kolchenko to 20 and 10 years in a top security prison, respectively, for preparing terrorist acts in Crimea

Oleg Sentsov and Alexander Kolchenko TASS/Valeriy Matytsin

Oleg Sentsov and Alexander Kolchenko

© TASS/Valeriy Matytsin

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Ukrainian film director sentenced to 20 years in prison in Russia

KIEV, August 25 /TASS/. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has protested against the conviction of two Ukrainian nationals, Oleg Sentsov and Alexander Kolchenko, and demanded their immediate release, the ministry’s press service said on Tuesday.

A district military court in the North Caucasus sentenced Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov and his accomplice Alexander Kolchenko to 20 and 10 years in a top security prison, respectively, for preparing terrorist acts in Crimea.

"The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine requires from Russia to immediately release Oleg Sentsov and Alexander Kolchenko," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Ukrainian diplomats have described their arrest in Russia as illegal and voiced their resolute protest against their conviction.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has also called on the world community to publicly condemn the sentences passed on Sentsov and Kolchenko.

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Crimea and Sevastopol Ukraine

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