The case of Lytvynov is also the one showing imperfections of fabricated charges that Russian court press against illegally imprisoned Ukrainians.
Kyiv, April 28, 2016. The case of Sergiy Lytvynov, who was sentenced by the Russian court to 8 years and 6 months in prison for assault on citizen of Luhansk region, is ideal for its consideration by the European Court of Human Rights. It violated a number of articles of the Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. This was stated by Victor Parshutkin, lawyer of Sergiy Lytvynov at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. According to him, Article 3 of the Convention was violated, because the Ukrainian had undergone torture. “A psychological and psychophysiological examination scheduled by the investigation revealed that 73 percent of Lytvynov’s reactions indicate that tortures including electric shocks were inflicted on him,” informed Victor Parshutkin. And 72 percent of Lytvynov’s reactions, according to the lawyer, testify that many minutes of his questioning about the “punitive operations” include evidence that Lytvynov has not reported. He could not report them because of he’s got issues with mental development, said the prisoner’s lawyer.
The lawyer also added that the principle of a fair trial was violated in the case, because the court refused to verify the evidence of the victim – Russian Aleksandr Lysenko. Sergiy Lytvynov was sentenced solely on the basis of his testimony. The lawyer is preparing a reasoned appeal against the verdict. Appeal hearing, according to lawyer’s forecasts, will be held in six weeks. And after the sentence is in force, the defense will submit a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights, explained Victor Parshutkin.
Besides, the lawyer informed that he is bringing an action to the head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for financial compensation in the amount of 1 million rubles for illegal detention of Sergiy Lytvynov in Russian prisons from August 20, 2014 to July 8, 2015. The lawyer explains that at that time Lytvynov was imprisoned solely on charges of war crimes, which then “failed” and were dropped. Victor Parshutkin will also file a suit against the TV channel “Russia-1” and Dmitry Kisyelyov suit to defend Lytvynov’s honour and dignity. “It is TV company and Dmitry Kisyelyov himself that were the most active and most colorful in defaming Lytvynov as the chastiser,” stated the lawyer.
Victor Parshutkin stressed that the case against Sergiy Lytvynov differs from the cases of other “Kremlin prisoners.” Because only he was charged of committing fundamental purely military crimes – mass murder, punitive operations and the use of prohibited methods of warfare. Besides, as noted by Parshutin, Sergiy Lytvynov is an ordinary village man, and in addition, he has mental disabilities.
According to Maria Tomak, coordinator of the campaign #LetMyPeopleG, currently 28 Ukrainians are still imprisoned in Russia and occupied Crimea.
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