Ukrainian political prisoner Volodymyr Balukh has been taken to Moscow from Russian penal colony No. 4 of the town of Torzhok, the Crimea.Realities news portal reported on August 16, citing his lawyer, Olga Dinze.
“Today we found out that he had been taken to detention center No. 2 in Moscow. However, it is not clear which one. This could be either Lefortovo or Butyrka. We were not given any more information. I became aware of this in the morning. […] Then we clarified the information, and the colony administration told us that he had really been transferred to the detention center,” Dinze said.
She said she did not know why Balukh was transferred to Moscow.
The press service of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service for the Tver Region told the news portal that it could neither confirm nor deny the report, referring to the law on personal data.
Crimean farmer Balukh was sentenced to five years in prison in a combination of two criminal cases by the Russia-controlled Rozdolne district court in Crimea. He was accused of illegal possession of weapons and explosives (Part 1 of Article 222 and Part 1 of Article 222.1) and disorganization of the activities of institutions providing isolation from society (Part 2 of Article 321 of Russia’s Criminal Code).
Balukh was staying in the penal colony in the town of Torzhok, Tver region (the Russian Federation). His relatives and defenders say that his health is deteriorating.
