Winnipeg's Ukrainian community rallies for jailed filmmaker
A high-profile political prisoner case out of Russia is drawing worldwide attention, and Monday night, it drew dozens of Winnipeggers to the steps of the legislature to protest.
Last week, a Russian court convicted Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov of conspiring to commit terror attacks. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but critics say the conviction was politically motivated. The 39-year-old Crimean native vocally opposed Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.
"It's a farce. It's an absolute farce. The fact that a young guy like him can be sentenced to 20 years in jail for a crime he did not commit – it's atrocious," said John Paskievich, a local filmmaker.
Russian prosecutors claimed Sentsov and another man plotted to blow up a Lenin monument and were behind attempts to burn down the offices of two Russia-related organizations.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, and several European leaders have spoken out against the 20-year sentence handed down to Sentsov.
Winnipeg's Ukrainian community are now calling on the federal government to join those voices and call for Sentsov's release.
Artem Baranov attended Monday night's protest in Winnipeg and sharply criticised Russia's record on free speech.
"There's no basic even freedom of speech – nothing in Russia like that," said Baranov. "That's why we're opposing that and supporting him here."
