76-year-old activist Ionov, who is on trial for participating in protests, left for Ukraine

Civil activist Vladimir Ionov, who is on trial for participating in protests under Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code (repeated violations of the rules for holding mass events), left for Ukraine, Grani reported on Monday. Ionov told the publication that he did not have a foreign passport, so the day before he illegally crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border.

Now Vladimir Ionov is in Kharkov, he intends to apply for political asylum.

The 76-year-old activist explained his departure by changes in his personal life. “Now I would like to avoid prison. When I was alone, I didn't care at all. Now I am not alone - with the woman I love, her constitution is much thinner than mine. Out of a feeling of care and love for her, I made this decision,” Ionov told the publication.

Vladimir #Ionov chose freedom. Ionov: Yesterday, together with my beloved woman, I crossed the border of Ukraine in the Belgorod area, and...

Posted by Grani.Ru on Monday, 21 December 2015

Ionov’s friend Olga Brown previously entered Ukraine legally.

“I don’t think I left forever. My homeland is Russia, and I think that serious changes will soon take place here. God grant that these changes take place without bloodshed at all,” Ionov added.

Vladimir Ionov was scheduled to give his final word on December 23 at the Preobrazhensky Court, where the trial of the activist is ongoing. The meetings were postponed several times due to Ionov’s illness. Activists of the NOD and SERB movements in October of this year attacked 76-year-old Ionov during his solo picket: he was doused with ammonia and sprinkled with washing powder, and the oppositionist’s poster was torn. The activist then received a 1-2 degree burn to the eye.

On December 7, activist Ildar Dadin, who was also tried under Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code, was sentenced to three years in prison.