Anton Naumliuk

Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, illegally sentenced to a major prison term In Russia, will not appeal to the Russian president with a request for pardon – this is what the Russian government is counting on, according to First Vice-Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Iryna Gerashchenko.

"Putin's press secretary D. Peskov says that O. Sentsov 'must take care of his own pardon,' hinting that Oleh should address the Russian president with such a request. Obviously, O. Sentzov will not appeal to Putin – that's something the Russian government is counting on," Gerashchenko wrote on Facebook.

The official reminded that in order to pardon Nadiia Savchenko, it was the relatives of the late Russian journalists who had formally appealed at the time. Back then, her personal request was not required.

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Read alsoPublic outcry won't help: Kremlin to consider pardon for Sentsov only at his own request

"And why can't Peskov himself or Ombudswoman Moskalkov appeal to Putin asking to pardon Sentsov? Why could Nadiia be pardoned without her personal appeal, and Oleh can't?" she said.

Vice Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada also expressed outrage at the failure of the agreements on the visits by Ukrainian Ombudswoman Liudmyla Denisova of Ukrainian hostages in Russia - Sentsov, Kolchenko, Sushchenko, Karpyuk and other political prisoners.

Earlier, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that public outcry cannot affect the court's decision in the case of Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov - he should himself apply for pardon to Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which the issue will be considered.

UNIAN memo. Sentsov was detained by FSB operatives in Crimea in the spring of 2014. He was transferred to Russia, where he was tried on trumped-up charges of plotting terrorist attacks and arson of party offices on the peninsula. The Russian court in August 2015 sentenced Sentsov to 20 years in prison. On May 14, Sentsov announced an indefinite hunger strike demanding the release of all 64 Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin.