Human rights defenders: Grib, Karpyuk, and Klykh transferred to "Lefortovo" SIZO

Sentenced Ukrainian citizens Pavel Grib, Nikolai Karpyuk, Stanislav Klykh, as well as Alexander Kolchenko and Vladimir Balukha were transferred from regional penitentiary institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN). At present, they are being kept at the Moscow SIZO (pre-trial prison), the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" suggests.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the HRC "Memorial" recognized Vladimir Balukh, Alexander Kolchenko, Nikolai Karpyuk, and Stanislav Klykh as political prisoners.

On August 20, the administration of the Moscow "Lefortovo" SIZO accepted parcels to be passed to Ukrainian citizens Vladimir Balukha, Pavel Grib, Nikolai Karpyuk, Stanislav Klykh, and Alexander Kolchenko, the HRC "Memorial" reported on the same day.

The human rights defenders suggest that all Ukrainian citizens are being kept at the "Lefortovo" SIZO.

Advocates of the sentenced Ukrainian citizens refused to comment on the information concerning the whereabouts of their clients, the "Mediazona" reported on August 20.

It is not reported if there is any connection between the transfers of prisoners from the FSIN's regional penitentiary institutions to Moscow with a possible exchange. Earlier, in mid-July, Verkhovna Rada Ombudsperson Lyudmila Denisova and Russia's Ombudsperson Tatiana Moskalkova exchanged lists of prisoners in Russia and Ukraine and agreed to help them, the "Interfax" reported on August 20.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 21, 2019 at 06:55 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.