18 December 2024
Ukrainian Political Prisoner Oleksii Kyselov Was Transferred Almost 4,000 Kilometers From His Home to a Colony in Murmansk
Oleksii Kyselov, a Ukrainian political prisoner unlawfully sentenced by an occupation “court” to 8.5 years of imprisonment, has been transferred from the strict-regime colony “Vladimirsky Central” to Colony No. 17 in Murmansk. This colony is located nearly 3,800 km from his hometown of Henichesk in the Kherson region.
The prisoner’s son, Artem Kyselov, reported the transfer. According to him, the family is searching for a new lawyer to visit Oleksii and file a cassation appeal against the illegal verdict.
“So far, nothing else is known. A new lawyer will be handling his cassation appeal, and there will be an opportunity for the lawyer to visit my father,” said Artem Kyselov.
On July 22, 2022, Oleksii Kyselov was illegally detained in the temporarily occupied city of Henichesk. He was unlawfully transferred to Crimea, where he was accused of participating in the so-called “Noman Çelebicihan Battalion,” which the occupation administration classifies as a “terrorist organization.” All charges against him were based on coerced “confessions” obtained under torture.
“They beat and tortured me for 5 days. They wanted me to confess on camera that I was the leader of the guerilla movement,” Oleksii Kyselov said, describing the torture he endured.
Human rights defenders report that Kyselov has serious health issues that have worsened under conditions of isolation and severe restrictions on access to medical care. While detained in “Vladimir Central,” he was only allowed to receive one parcel and a package per year, significantly limiting his access to essential supplies, including medical necessities.
We call on the international community to increase pressure on the Russian Federation to demand the immediate release of Oleksii Kyselov and all Ukrainian political prisoners, to put an end to the torture of Ukrainian citizens, and to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law.