Crimean Tatar Activist Sets Himself On Fire To Protest 'Lawlessness'
By the Crimea Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
A Crimean Tatar activist has set himself alight in the Crimean capital, Simferopol, protesting plans by the Russia-imposed authorities to build apartment blocks on lands where Crimean Tatars houses now stand.
The man -- identified as Vatan Karabash -- doused himself with gasoline and set himself on fire on August 3, shouting he was protesting "the authorities' lawlessness."
Several bystanders quickly knocked Karabash to the ground and extinguished the flames.
His condition was not immediately clear.
On August 2, police dispersed activists protesting the plans to build in the Strelkovaya area near Simferopol.
Russia-imposed authorities announced earlier this year that a new district to be called Crimean Rose would be developed there, including new apartment blocks for 9,000 families.
Local Crimean Tatars fear their houses will be demolished to make way for the planned apartments.
Crimean Tatars built homes in the area in the late 1980s and early '90s after returning from Central Asia, where they had been deported in 1944 by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
The return of the Crimean Tatars to their historic homeland was not sanctioned by Soviet authorities, meaning many of the homes were built without official permission.
The construction company Monolit that has been contracted to build the apartments said last month that "issues related to the legality of some houses raised in the area remain."
Russia forcibly occupied and annexed Crimea in March 2014, a move condemned by some 100 countries at the United Nations as a violation of international law.
The takeover of Crimea and Russian support for separatists in eastern Ukraine prompted the United States, the European Union, and others to impose sanctions on Russia.
Ukrainian Activist Released From Russian Prison After Four Years
By RFE/RL
A Ukrainian activist was released from a penal colony in Russia on August 3, after serving more than four years.
Oleksandr Kostenko had been convicted by a court in Russia-annexed Crimea in 2015 for allegedly attacking security forces in Kyiv during protests in February 2014 in the Ukrainian capital against then-President Viktor Yanukovych, who was allied with the Kremlin.
Kostenko and his supporters said Russia had no right to put him on trial.
Russian authorities claimed jurisdiction, arguing one of the police officers allegedly injured by Kostenko had obtained Russian citizenship.
Moscow granted Russian citizenship to dozens of Ukrainian riot police officers who were involved in the deadly standoff with unarmed protesters in Kyiv during the Euromaidan protests.
Yana Goncharova of the RosUznik rights group posted photos of Kostenko after leaving the penal colony in the city of Kirovo-Chepetsk.
Goncharova said in June that Kostenko had been placed in solitary confinement ahead of his scheduled August release.
Goncharova also said Kostenko needed medical treatment for an arm that was broken during his arrest in 2015.
Russia occupied and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014, triggering sanctions by the United States and European Union and condemnation by some 100 countries at the United Nations.
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
Amnesty International Says Russia Denies Access To Imprisoned Sentsov
By RFE/RL
Rights group Amnesty International says it has been denied access to Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who is serving a 20-year prison term in Russia and has been on a hunger strike the past 81 days.
Oksana Pokalchuk, Amnesty International’s Ukraine director, on August 2 said the effort by Russian authorities “denying us the right to visit Oleh Sentsov is indefensible.”
Amnesty said it was given no reason for the rejection.
Sentsov, a vocal opponent of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, was sentenced in 2015 for conspiracy to commit terrorism, charges he and human rights groups say were politically motivated.
He has been on a hunger strike since mid-May in a penal colony in Russia's northern region of Yamalo-Nenets and has demanded that Russia release 64 Ukrainian citizens he considers political prisoners
Sentsov's lawyer, Dmitry Dinze, on July 27 said Sentsov was pale and lies down constantly because he has difficulty moving. Russian authorities have insisted Sentsov's condition is stable with no “negative dynamic.”
“After almost three months on hunger strike, there are grave concerns for his health,” Amnesty's Pokalchuk said.
She said Amnesty representatives were planning to visit Sentsov accompanied by an independent medical expert to help evaluate his condition.
“Amnesty International calls for Sentsov’s immediate release and demands that, while detained, he has access to qualified health professionals," Pokalchuk added.
Several groups have called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to pardon Sentsov, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the Ukrainian film director would have to ask for a pardon himself before it could be considered. Sentsov has so far said he would not ask for a pardon.