Russia refuses to hand over to Ukraine prisoner Kolchenko

The Russian Federation refused to transfer to Ukraine the Ukrainian activist, Oleksandr Kolchenko, who had been illegally sentenced to a prison term in Russia, according to Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine on European Integration Serhiy Petukhov.

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Petukhov said that the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has received from the Russian Justice Ministry the same reply as it had in relation the Ukrainian director Oleh Sentsov, who had also been wrongfully convicted by the Russian court.

According to the Russian reply, the copy of which Petukhov published on Facebook, Kolchenko has acquired Russian citizenship in accordance with the Russian legislation.

Read alsoRussia refuses to return Sentsov to UkraineThe letter says that, if an individual is also a citizen of another country, Russia still considers them only as a citizen of the Russian Federation.

The transfer of Kolchenko to Ukraine is “impossible”, according to the response of the Russian Justice Ministry, citing a treaty between Ukraine and Russia governing dual citizenship.

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