Russia Refuses To Transfer Crimean Activist Kolchenko To Ukraine

Russia has refused to transfer Crimean activist Oleksandr Kolchenko to Ukraine following his sentencing to 10 years in prison by a Russian court.

Deputy Justice Minister Serhii Petukhov announced this on his Facebook page, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

Petukhov also published the Russian Ministry of Justice's response to the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice's request to transfer Kolchenko to Ukraine.

The Russian Ministry of Justice said it was impossible to transfer Kolchenko to Ukraine because he holds Russian citizenship and Russia considers him as its citizen.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the North Caucasus District Military Court (Russia) sentenced Ukrainian movie director Oleh Sentsov to 20 years in prison and Kolchenko to 10 years in prison on 25 August 2015.

Earlier, Russia refused to transfer Sentsov to Ukraine to serve his 20-year prison sentence.