The Russian Federation has refused to return Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov sentenced in Russia for 20 years to Ukraine, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine on European Integration Sergiy Petukhov wrote on Facebook.
At the same time, he did not specify the reasons for refusal of Sentsov`s extradition.
Ukrainian film director Sentsov was arrested by Russian security service officers in the annexed Crimea in May 2014 together with pro-Ukrainian activists Oleksandr Kolchenko, Oleksiy Cherniy and Hennadiy Afanasiyev. They were all charged with plotting terrorist acts.
Both men have denied their guilt from the day of their arrest.
On August 25, 2015, the military court in Russia`s city of Rostov-on-Don sentenced Sentsov to 20 years in prison and Kolchenko was imprisoned for 10 years. They both were accused of terrorism and would be kept in a high-security penal colony.
On November 24, Russia`s Supreme Court upheld the trial court`s decision against Sentsov and Kolchenko.
On March 10, Russia`s Justice Ministry received Ukraine`s request to hand over Sentsov and three other sentenced Ukrainian citizens.
Later, it became known that the Russian Ministry of Justice had instructed the Federal Penitentiary Service to draft the documents for resolving the issue of transfer to Ukraine of four convicts, including film director Oleh Sentsov, for serving the remaining prison term in their homeland.
