Crimea in the grip of Chekists

The FSB accuses the Ukrainian film director and anti -fascist from Simferopol of work on the "Right Sector" and terrorism

For several weeks, relatives and friends did not know anything about the fate of the Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov, who was arrested in the Crimea, in addition to the fact that on May 11 he was detained by the FSB and would be transferred to Lefortovo. Only on May 30, the FSB announced that Sentsov and three more Crimeans are in the “right sector” and are suspected of preparing terrorist attacks - including the representative office of United Russia.

The first picture of Oleg Sentsov "Gamer" fell into the Rotterdam film festival and was highly appreciated by criticism. The arrest of the director interrupted the preparation for the film "Rhino". Oleg Sentsov has two children whom he educates one. Daughters 12 years old, son - 9, the boy has an autism diagnosis. In support of Oleg Sentsov, an international campaign was organized, his name has repeatedly sounded at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The director of the film "Maidan" Sergey Loznitsa began all his public performances in Cannes with a mention of Sentsov's arrest. “Those who accuse Oleg Sentsov of anti -Russian extremism should watch his film“ Gamer ”, shot in the international, mainly Russian -speaking Simferopol,” says film critic Andrei Plakhov. "Oleg Sentsov is a modern person. He is a director with aggravated social sensitivity. And his films are a confirmation. Therefore, a complex and contradictory social situation should inevitably be interested in him. Is it the fault that he was involved in radical events in which a person of his age and his status could not but be involved?" - asks director Alexander Sokurov.

They definitely needed to find scapegoats in the Crimea and show that an extremist group acted

The FSB ignored the appeals of filmmakers and the protests of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine. On May 30, the Russian special service announced the detention of members of the Right Sector law -facility. The FSB reports that Sentsov, as well as three more people arrested in this case, is S.G. Afanasyev, A.V. Chirniy and A.A. Kolchenko - they were going to drive home -made explosive devices near the eternal flame and the monument to Lenin in Simferopol, as well as the arson of the offices of the Russian community of Crimea and the representative office of the United Russia party. According to the FSB, "the suspects give confessions about the participation of representatives of the" Right Sector "in the organization of terrorist acts in the Crimea."

Journalist of Ukrainian Pravda, Ekaterina Sergatskova , familiar to Oleg Sentsov, considers reports of the "right sector" absurd:

- Oleg Sentsov and Alexander Kolchenko never were in the "right sector". Moreover, Alexander Kolchenko has always been an activist of the anti -fascist movement. In Crimea, he helped organize shares in support of Russian anti -fascists and in memory of Anastasia Baburova . Therefore, these accusations are absolutely absurd.

- And as for accusations of terrorism?

- I am sure that Oleg would never allow this. He helped the Ukrainian military leave the territory of the occupied Crimea, helped activists when they organized Ukrainian actions in support of the country's integrity. Extremist activity was never included in his plans. I can say the same about all the other guys. I think that these accusations are connected with the fact that they definitely needed to find scapegoats in the Crimea and show that an extremist group was operating. In addition, the FSB claims that they had not yet caught all the activists of the "Right Sector" who were preparing terrorist attacks and will be sought further. Thus, the population of the peninsula is intimidated, and any initiatives related to Ukraine will not only be suppressed, but in a brutal way to be punished. Unfortunately, the Russian authorities do not react to appeals from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. Still, these activists are citizens of Ukraine, and for some reason they were taken to Moscow.

In Kyiv, the Committee of Assistance of the Crimean Political Prisoner was created. It included human rights activists and civil activists. In particular, the Ukrainian Helsinki group, the Crimean field mission on human rights, Euromaidan, Crimea.sos, Crimean hundred Maidan and other associations are participated. The Committee is engaged in legal and information assistance by political prisoners and raising funds for Oleg Sentsov and his comrades.

Member of the Committee of the Crimean human rights activist Alexander Parvo also believes that the accusations formulated by the FSB are fully decided:

- They have nothing to do with the right, primarily because all the defendants in the case are citizens of Ukraine. And in relation to them in the occupied territory there are international agreements: in particular, the Geneva Convention, which was not respected, and the Ukrainian side was not notified of the investigation and detention of its citizens. I personally know Oleg Sentsov and Sasha Kolchenko and I can say for sure that these accusations are far -fetched.

- Is there a connection with Oleg and his comrades? Have relatives met with them?

- All four are transferred to Moscow, in the Lefortovo pre -trial detention center. They arrived there on May 23 for examination. Prior to this, they were in the SBU SBU in the city of Simferopol, in the building, which was now occupied by the FSB. Communication with the guys is carried out only through lawyers. And then access was originally complicated, since Oleg Sentsov’s lawyer Dmitry Dinze was not missed to meet with his client. Their relatives had no chance of getting a date, like friends.

-There were assumptions that Oleg Sentsov could exchange for Lifenews journalists or some pressure on international channels for Moscow would be exerted so that the arrested would be released. But for some reason this does not happen. Do you think Kyiv does everything possible to rescue them from prison?

- I think not, not everything is possible. This is the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as our government, which should negotiate. I would not say that we can talk about the exchange, since the guys have not committed any crimes and offenses in Ukraine. Their persecution is political in order to intimidate the rest of the activists in the Crimea. Even articles such as terrorism are not applied to Moscow activists, they are more often used in Chechnya.

- At the Cannes festival, the name Oleg Sentsov sounded many times, filmmakers from different countries participate in the campaign to support him. Do figures of Ukrainian culture lead some kind of campaign?

- Recently there was a protest at the presidential administration in Kiev, where Ukrainian filmmakers spoke in support of Oleg Sentsov, and friends of Sasha Kolchenko, anti -fascists, picketed the Russian embassy. There is support. However, not at such a high level as it could be.

The journalist Alexei Arunyan , a friend of the arrested FSB Alexander Kolchenko, also consists in the Crimean assistance committee:

The FSB accuses him of participating in the ultra -right group, and the ultra -rights posted photos of Sasha on social networks with a call for physical reprisals

-I know Sasha since the mid-2000s. He adheres to left -wing, anarchist views. The ideas of exploitation, violence, oppression are alien to him. Therefore, when the Russian troops began the occupation of Crimea, he began to actively participate in shares against the annexation, he said that Crimea should decide his fate itself and no one should impose from the outside, the more armed way in which the Crimea should be. Now Sasha began to be accused of the fact that he was an action movie of the "Right Sector", although he always held his left glances and began his social activities with participation in anti -fascist initiatives. He was the organizer of the campaign against xenophobia, against nationalism. The FSB accuses him of participating in the ultra -right group, which contradicts common sense. The far -right ones posted Sasha’s photographs on social networks with a call for physical reprisals, as he adhered to anti -fascist views. In this regard, you just wonder when you read this statement of the FSB.

- He is accused of preparing terrorist attacks ...

The FSB is now very afraid of any discontent on the peninsula, because this whole regime is held on military force

- I think that this is absurd, since Sasha has always participated only in legal activities, in peaceful actions in protecting the rights of students, in protecting the ecology of Crimea, in protecting the rights of hired workers and trade unions, in shares against sealing development in Simferopol and in the coastal zone of Crimea. For him, violent forms of protest were unacceptable. He understood that they were ineffective because it is better to fight peacefully. I am sure that he did not plan anything like that. Obviously, the FSB arrested him with other activists, as he participated in the campaign against the annexation of Crimea. The FSB is now very afraid of any discontent on the peninsula. This is manifested not only in this matter, but also in the infringement of the rights of the Mejlis and activists of the Crimean Tatar movement. It is obvious that the FSB is very afraid of discontent, because this whole regime rests on military force. And the arrest of Sasha and his other comrades is an action of intimidation both for himself and for other Crimeans who do not agree with the occupation and, perhaps, would be ready to deal with her somehow.

- And all the arrested really was friends or does the FSB make a group of random people?

- I think they are familiar, because there are not so many people participated in shares against the annexation. I think that they crossed them, met, talked. But how close they had was friendship, it is difficult for me to say. I have never seen them together.

Oleg Sentsov’s lawyer Dmitry Dinze is preparing for a meeting in Lefortovo with his client and would like to tell reporters a lot, but cannot.

- They took me a subscription about the non -disclosure of the preliminary investigation. But I can tell you that the information that they distribute is actually biased. But to what volume, I can’t say, unfortunately. If I had not been on a subscription, I would explain. They limit protection in the spread of information, and they themselves give out information that cannot be commented on, because it is biased in itself.

Dmitry Dinze recalls that the detainees in the Crimean business are required: their relatives are far away, and they are not allowed to date. Russian filmmakers are already collecting funds for Oleg Sentsov.

This week, two activists of the Ukrainian House public organization - Simferopol residents Timur Shaimardanov and Leonid Korzh disappeared in the Crimea. Both left the house and did not return, there is no connection with them.

According to the leader of the Ukrainian House, Andrei Shchekin , Timur Shaimardanov conducted active social activities and took part in shares against the occupation of Crimea.

- Timur began active activity at a time when the Ukrainian military units were blocked by "green men" and pro -Russian activists. Then Timur gathered a whole group of like -minded people who was on duty, including at night, at the checkpoint of military units, ”the cheek said. As the Radio Liberty correspondent reports , the situation in the Crimean department of the FSB and the local police are not commented on the question of the missing guys, they immediately throw a telephone pipe and no longer respond to the repeated call.