Ukraine demands Russia free activist Prykhodko

Russia should stop expanding its list of Ukrainian political prisoners and release them all, including activist Oleh Prykhodko, who has recently been arrested in Russia-occupied Crimea.
Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Yevhen Tsymbaliuk said this at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday.

"Regretfully, the Russian side continues its pressure and intimidation. In the evening of October 9, a Ukrainian activist Oleh Prykhodko and his wife (as a witness) were detained by the Russian occupation security services in their home in Crimea. Later, he was accused of 'unlawfully preparing an explosive device' and 'of a terrorist act'," he said.

The Ukrainian diplomat drew the attention of the delegations of the OSCE member states to the fact that the video footage released later clearly shows that the Russian occupants searched his garage alone while Prykhodko was forced to stand outside watching from a distance.

"Planting so-called 'evidence' in the homes of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar activists remains a usual practice for the Russian agencies. This another politically motivated case with the use of trumped-up charges adds to the long list of Russia's repressive actions in the occupied Crimea. We strongly condemn this behavior and request the Russian side to stop expanding the list of Ukrainian political prisoners and to release all of them, including recently detained Mr. Prykhodko," Tsymbaliuk said.

On October 9, security forces in Russia-occupied Crimea detained and drove away pro-Ukrainian activist Oleh Prykhodko. His wife Liubov Prykhodko, a witness in the case, was detained on October 10. Prykhodko is charged with a "terrorist act" and "unlawful manufacture of explosives."

On October 10, a so-called court in Russia-occupied Crimea ruled to detain the Ukrainian for two months.