KYIV. March 22 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has expressed protest against the ruling by Russia's North Caucasus Military District Court sentencing Ukrainian citizen Pavlo Hryb to six years in prison for abetting terrorism.
The ministry said in a statement on Friday that the court's ruling is unlawful and the terrorism instigation charges brought against Hryb were fabricated. "We demand an immediate reversal of the unlawful sentence passed on Pavlo Hryb, constant ensuring of medical support, and for his release and unimpeded return to Ukraine," the ministry said.
"Ukraine is continuing to apply all possible political-diplomatic levers in order to secure freedom for Pavlo and other Ukrainian citizens unlawfully convicted for political motives in Russia and the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol," it said.
"We believe that, in delivering this judgement, Russia has grossly violated human rights, such as the right to a fair trial and the right to life. Due to serious illnesses acquired by Hryb and his severe condition, he may not survive his transportation to and stay in the inhumane conditions of the Russian penitentiary system. Pavlo Hryb requires constant highly-qualified medical supervision, regular comprehensive medical examinations, and hospitalization in a specialized medical institution," the ministry said.
Pavlo Hryb had been detained while visiting Belarus on August 24, 2017. He was 19 at the time. It emerged later that he was held at a pretrial detention facility in Russia's Krasnodar. Russia accused Hryb of instigation of terrorism. He has denied any wrongdoing.
The North Caucasus Military District Court sentenced Hryb to six years in a general security penitentiary on Friday. Hryb said in his last plea that he did not admit the charges of facilitating terrorist activities.