Ukrainian Ombudsperson Liudmyla Denisova has said Ukrainian political prisoner Oleksandr Kostenko has been released from the colony in the town of Kirovo-Chepetsk, Russia.
"Oleksandr Kostenko, who was serving a sentence in Russia's Kirovo-Chepetsk, has been released today," she wrote on her official Facebook page on Friday, August 3.
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Denisova reminded that Kostenko was a Crimean, an activist of the EuroMaidan. After his return to the annexed peninsula in 2014, a former officer of the Crimean Berkut riot police, who at that time was already working in the occupation security forces of Crimea, filed a statement with the FSB that Oleksandr had allegedly thrown a stone at him during a EuroMaidan protest event when he was on duty to protect public order.
In May 2015, the so-called Kyivsky District Court of the Russian-occupied city of Simferopol sentenced Kostenko under Article 222 Part 1 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of firearms) to four years and two months in prison. Later, this term was reduced to three years and six months in appellate courts.
"Now he is under the protection of the Ukrainian authorities. Oleksandr is now with the Consul of Ukraine and they are going to Moscow, to the Ukrainian Embassy in Russia. He is under the jurisdiction of our country," Denisova added.
