Russia, notably the case of Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov
Petras Auštrevičius, on behalf of the ALDE Group. – Mr President, Oleg Sentsov will turn 42 next month. An active participant of the Maidan in Ukraine, there was no way he could stay silent once the ‘little green men’ appeared in his native Crimea. What price does Putin make people like Sentsov pay for defending his homeland’s freedom? 20 years imprisonment four thousand kilometres away from Moscow to the far north, where the temperature falls to -50 degrees, where the snow still stands in June, in a prison called ‘Polar Bear’ – what a symbolic name for the place where bears run freely and people normally do not live.
Today, we all hope that Oleg will be strong enough to withstand the hunger strike. We all hope – and we demand – that his two children can see their father immediately, at home and in good health. Finally, I expect that those who will take part in World Cup matches in Moscow will not become a shameful part of Putin’s team.