The Russian Pen-Center called a letter to Putin about Sentsov the initiative of the Liberal Group within the Organization

Several dozen representatives of the Russian Pen-Center, which unites Russian writers, poets and journalists, signed an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request to have mercy on Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov. The document notes that the 20 -year sentence Sentsov is "the deepest injustice."

"The accusation of criminal intent was built on the testimony of one of the defendants completely refuted by himself during the trial - as data under torture. Torture was applied to Oleg, which was confirmed by his lawyers, but he never pleaded guilty," the letter published by Colta.ru says.

The circulation also says that Sentsov is now in the Yakut colony, the connection with him was interrupted, refuses to date and does not respond to letters: "This indicates an extremely dangerous psychological state, indicates the most difficult (and maybe physical) suffering."

“We ask you, Mr. President, to apply the norm of law to Oleg Sentsov, which allows the head of state to decide on the pardon of convicts without guilty on their part, we ask you to use all available resources and mechanisms for the speedy liberation of our colleague,” the letter concluded. The poets Lev Rubinstein and Mikhail Aisenberg, Andrey Makarevich and others put their signatures under the appeal, among others.

Later, Interfax , however, said that the Russian Pen -Center did not send a letter to Putin, and the appeal mentioned above was the initiative of individual members of the organization.

"We have a group of liberal oppositionists who are trying to conflict and lead their own line with us. They are members of the center, but accept their own statements, collect signatures among like -minded people," the organization’s press service said.

According to the FSB of the Russian Federation, Sentsov created a terrorist community operating in the Crimea, and from April to May 2014, its members - Sentsov, Kolchenko, Alexey Chirniy and Gennady Afanasyev - set fire to the offices of the Russian Communist Party of Crimea and the local branch of the United Russia party. The FSB also claims that these persons were preparing to commit attacks. They planned subversions on the night of May 9, 2015, home -made explosive devices near the eternal flame and the monument to Lenin in Simferopol.

On August 25, 2015, the North Caucasus District Military Court in Rostov-on Don sentenced Sentsov to 20 years in a maximum security colony. Together with him, Alexander Kolchenko was convicted for 10 years.