[The time is running out]
Vladimir PutinPresident of Russia
23, Ulitsa Ilyinka
Moscow
103132
Russia
Cc: Gianni Infantino, President, FIFA
Dear President Putin,
We, the undersigned artists, writers, filmmakers, and activists, join
PEN America to call for the immediate and unconditional release of the
wrongfully imprisoned Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov. In light of
Sentsov’s ongoing hunger strike, our request is urgent.
Oleg Sentsov, the 2017 recipient of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write
Award, has been held prisoner by the Russian government for more than
four years. In May 2014, he was detained in his native Crimea and
brought to Moscow on unsubstantiated allegations of terrorism. Numerous
governments and human rights organizations have identified these
allegations as politically charged, groundless fabrications orchestrated
in retaliation for Sentsov’s outspoken criticism of Russia’s annexation
of Crimea. On August 25, 2015, Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in
prison. Sentsov himself says he was tortured during his detention in an
unsuccessful attempt to extract a false confession. One of the
defendants, Hennadij Afanasjew, later retracted his own testimony
against Sentsov, saying he was brutally tortured into saying Sentsov was
part of a terrorist organization. Two appeals of the verdict have been
rejected, as has a request for Sentsov to be extradited to Ukraine.
Sentsov has always maintained his innocence.
On May 14, Sentsov declared an indefinite hunger strike, stating that
“the one and only condition for its termination is the release of all
Ukrainian political prisoners that are currently present on the
territory of the Russian Federation.” This brave yet dangerous decision
was not taken lightly; in the northern Siberia penal colony where
Sentsov is held, and with his health already weakened, it is uncertain
how long he can survive. Thus, the need for action is urgent.
As Russia prepares to host the World Cup in the coming weeks, the
eyes of the world will be on the country. Sentsov’s campaign will
rightly draw attention to the injustice of his detention and that of
dozens of other political prisoners in Russia. He has told his lawyer he
is willing to die to bring global attention to his cause. In the spirit
of this unifying global event, we therefore urge you to take this
opportunity to make a powerful statement by releasing Oleg Sentsov
immediately and unconditionally. His life depends on it.
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