Pavlo Gryb, a 19-year-old Ukrainian citizen allegedly kidnapped by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Belarus, has been detained for two months by a court in Russia’s Krasnodar region.
A Krasnodar district court ordered Gryb’s arrest until Oct. 17 on charges of “abetting terrorist activities,” Russia’s TASS news agency reported, citing a statement from the court. The order came a week after Gryb disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Gomel, Belarus, on his way to a meeting with a Russian girl that he had previously contacted on a social network.
Pavlo Gryb’s father Ihor Gryb said on Aug. 27 that his son had gone to Belarus and had been kidnapped by the FSB.
Journalists managed to track down the Russian girl, who identified herself as Tetyana and said that she lived in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi. She allegedly confirmed that the FSB had contacted her. She also said that her meeting with Gryb had taken place.
The Interior Ministry of Belarus said on Sept. 8 that it had not arrested Hryb and was searching for him. Previously the ministry confirmed that Hryb had crossed the border into Belarus.
Gryb’s family is now trying to raise money for a lawyer, visits and medicine for Gryb, who suffers from portal hypertension, a chronic illness that affects the functioning of his internal organs.
Ukrainian diplomats have also stepped in to help. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s permanent representative to the Council of Europe, urged the European Commissioner for Human Rights to help release Gryb, along with other Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia.
When asked about the possible reasons for Gryb’s detention, his sister, Olga Gryb, said the case was politically motivated.
“Consuls couldn’t get there to see him, we also can’t go there at the moment because we would have to get permissions from the Russian side,” Olga Gryb told the Kyiv Post. “We don’t know how the Russian side will react – so far we haven’t received any official information from them.”
On Sept. 11, Pavlo Gryb was able to meet with a lawyer, Andrei Sabinin. Afterwards, Sabinin wrote on Facebook that Gryb was “taken by unknown individuals” from Gomel and “handed over to other unknown individuals.” Several days later, “a detention protocol was issued in (Russia’s) Smolensk region,” the lawyer wrote.
He also added that “Gryb looks fine but is worried about his medicine.”
If convicted, Gryb faces a prison term of 10 to 15 years.
To help Gryb’s family send your donation here:
PayPal [email protected]
Beneficiery: Olga Gryb
Address: Korczyńska St. 6, apt. 117 02-934 Warsaw Poland
Account Number 74 1090 2590 0000 0001 3509 4639
The name of the bank: Bank Zachodni WBK
SWIFT: WBKPPLPP
Puprose: SAVEPAVLO
Currency: EURO
Imie Nazwisko: Olga Gryb
Adres: Ul. Korczyńska 6, 117 02-934 Warszawa Polska
Nr. Konta 92 1090 2590 0000 0001 2185 2748
Nazwa Banku: Bank Zachodni WBK Nr
SWIFT: WBKPPLPP
Tytuł: SAVEPAVLO
Waluta: PLN
