The spokesperson for the European External Action Service, Maja Kocijancic, has again called for the immediate release of Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov, who has been on hunger strike since 14 May. Kocijancic also called for the release of the other Ukrainians illegally detained in Russia.
When questioned by media, she stated that on 10 August the European External Action Service had already urged for this release.
"The health conditions of Mr Sentsov are reported to be deteriorating rapidly. We expect Russia to provide him with appropriate treatment in an institutionalised medical setting in line with the European Court of Human Rights interim measure of the past 25 July", the EEAS then stated in a press release. It added that the EU "expects international human rights standards on the (Crimean) peninsula to be upheld".
In August 2015, Sentsov was sentenced by a Russian military tribunal to 20 years in prison along with a harsh detention regime for "terrorism", the "organisation of a terrorist group" and "arms trafficking". It was a sentence that High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini had at the time criticised (see EUROPE 11375). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)