The SBU Security Service of Ukraine has detained member of the pro-presidential United Russia Party and representative of the occupying authorities of the Crimean peninsula Igor Kucheryavy.
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Kucheryavy was detained at the Kalanchak entry and exit checkpoint on the border with Crimea over his involvement in the annexation of Crimea and membership in the Russian party, former Deputy Prime Minister of Crimea Lenur Islyamov told the Crimean Tatar ATR TV channel.
According to the Asker Crimean Tatar organization, the man participated in the so-called "Crimean spring," i.e. the Russian occupation of the peninsula, and was a member of the so-called "self-defense units" of the city of Sevastopol. The Russian Defense Ministry awarded him with the "For the Return of Crimea" medal.
Islyamov claims Kucheryavy crossed the border to obtain a foreign passport of Ukraine. During the detention, the man said: "You can't travel anywhere with the documents issued in Crimea, but I want to travel."
UNIAN memo. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in March 2014 after its troops had occupied the peninsula. An illegal referendum was held for Crimeans to decide on accession to Russia. De-facto Crimean authorities reported that allegedly 96.77% of the Crimean population had voted for joining Russia. On March 18, 2014, the so-called agreement on the accession of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to Russia was signed in the Kremlin. The West did not recognize the annexation in response to which sanctions against Russia were introduced. Ukraine's parliament voted to designate February 20, 2014, as the official date when the temporary occupation of Crimea began.
