Russia-occupied Crimea’s Kerchensky city court during its hearing refused to release Ukrainian activist Volodymyr Balukh on parole, the Krym.Realii ezine has said.
Balukh was not present at the hearing.
The representative of the Russian prosecutor’s office, Gennady Trofimov, said parole was refused because Balukh committed 51 violations while being held in the detention center.
Balukh’s defense lawyer Taras Omelchenko said as of Jan. 11 “there are no complaints from the administration of the prison colony about to him [Balukh]” and that Balukh’s mother is elderly and requires care.
As earlier reported, Crimea’s Rozdolne district court sentenced Balukh to three years and seven months of imprisonment in a low-security penal colony and to a fine of 10,000 Russian rubles. Balukh’s defense team said then the case was fabricated, and his verdict would be appealed in courts of higher instances.
Balukh was sentenced by the Russia-controlled Rozdolne district court to five years in prison in a combination of two criminal cases. The Crimean farmer was allegedly involved in a case of illegal possession of weapons and explosives (Part 1 of Article 222 and Part 1 of Article 222.1) and Part 2 of Article 321 (disorganization of the activities of institutions providing isolation from society) of Russia’s Criminal Code.
On Oct. 3, 2018, the so-called Supreme Court of Crimea commuted Balukh’s sentence by one month.
In October 2018, Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova said after the decision of the so-called Supreme Court to commute Balukh’s sentence he would be able to apply for parole.
