Activists gathered on Independence Square in Kyiv on July 13 to celebrate the birthday of Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian filmmaker abducted from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory of Crimea, who has been subjected to a sham trial in Russia and is still detained there.
About 50 people gathered to celebrate Sentsov’s birthday together with activists. The event began with readings of parts of novels by the filmmaker, which were handed out to people ahead of the event.
Activists also encouraged people to write letters to Sentsov, which they will send to him in prison with the help of human rights organization Amnesty International.
Sentstov was arrested by Russia’s occupying authorities in the Kremlin-annexed Ukrainian territory of Crimea on May 11, 2014. He was then taken to Russia and subjected to a sham trial on fabricated charges of terrorism.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison after the sham trial, which has been denounced as a farce by Ukraine and Western countries.
