Baltic politicians call for release of Oleg Sentsov

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Members of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian parliaments have appealed to the leaders of the EU to pressure Russia to release Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov from prison.

Members of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian parliaments sent an appeal to the leaders of the EU Donald Tusk, Antonio Tajani, Jean-Claude Juncker, and Federica Mogherini to exert pressure on the Russian authorities for the immediate release of the Ukrainian filmmaker Sentsov,and other Ukrainian nationals currently incarcerated in Russian prisons on politically motivated charges.

The appeal was signed by 18 members of the Baltic national parliaments and the European Parliament, including 6 Latvians.

"Oleg Sentsov has been on a hunger strike for over 90 days and his condition has been reported as catastrophic. The authorities have denied him correspondence, meetings with impartial observers, and adequate medical care. Unless the international community steps in immediately, we will have another case like Sergei Magnitsky’s," a statement accompanying the appeal said.

The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) arrested Sentsov in his home in occupied Simferopol on 10 May 2014. Sentsov had supported the Euromaidan protests and opposed the annexation of Crimea. In Moscow, he waited for a court hearing for over a year. The prosecutor was demanding 23 year of imprisonment for acts of terrorism. Sentsov ended up receiving a 20-year prison sentence. He is being held in a prison in Yakutia. The imprisoned Ukrainian writer and filmmaker Oleg Sentsov has been on a hunger strike since May 14.

The full list of the signatories:

Gabrielius Landsbergis, Member of the Seimas, Chairman of the Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats, Lithuania

Radvilė Morkunaite-Mikuleniene, Member of the Seimas, Lithuania

Andrius Kubilius, Member of the Seimas, Lithuania

Tarmo Kruusimäe, Member of the Riigikogu, Estonia

Tunne Kelam, Member of the European Parliament, Estonia

Mari-Ann Kelam, former Member of the Riigikogu, Estonia

Ojārs Ēriks Kalniņš, Member of the Saeima, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Latvia

Veiko Spolītis, Member of the Saeima, Latvia

Atis Lejiņš, Member of the Saeima, Latvia

Rasa Jukneviciene, Member of the Seimas, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Lithuania

Prof. Inese Vaidere, Member of the European Parliament, Latvia

Krišjānis Kariņš, Member of the European Parliament, Latvia

Liisa Oviir, Member of the Riigikogu, Estonia

Enn Meri, Member of the Riigikogu, Estonia

Henn Põlluaas, Member of the Riigikogu, Estonia

Mart Nutt, Member of the Riigikogu, Estonia

Sandra Kalniete, Member of the European Parliament, Latvia

Jürgen Ligi, Member of the Riigikogu, Estonia

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