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Two Russian Nationals Imprisoned in Ukraine on Phony Terrorism Charges

Written by Subject: Police State

Two Russian Nationals Imprisoned in Ukraine on Phony Terrorism Charges

by Stephen Lendman

US installed Ukrainian putschists systematically spurn rule of law principles with full Washington support and encouragement.  

They rule illegitimately, continue waging war on their own people, shelling Donbass over 300 times in the last 24 hours alone, according to local reports, along with committing other appalling human rights abuses unaccountably.

Russian nationals Evgeny Erofeev and Aleksander Aleksandrov detained in Ukraine last May were wrongfully indicted on false charges of "participation in a terrorist act or a terrorist organization, waging aggressive war, and actions (causing) the death of a" Ukrainian. 

A rubber-stamp Kiev court sentenced both men to 14 years in prison. Prosecutors wrongfully accused them of being active duty Russian soldiers.

They acted as civilian volunteers, involved in aiding Donbass freedom fighters combat the scourge of fascist tyranny - heroes, not terrorists, wrongfully consigned to a fate they not survive, Ukrainian imprisonment a possible death sentence unless Russia can find a way to free them.

Moscow insists its nationals weren't active duty military members when arrested, nor is it committing aggression, now or earlier, against Ukraine as falsely charged. 

Russian Parliament Committee for Civil and Criminal Law head Pavel Krasheninnikov expressed outrage over the sentencing, saying "it had nothing to do with compliance with legal procedures (or) norms of international law and objectivity."

On March 11, Aleksandrov's lawyer Yury Grabovsky was found dead, days after he was kidnapped, drugged, an explosive device affixed to his ankle to prevent escape, then taken to various locations before being brutally beaten and murdered - for defending a Russian national and to obstruct justice.

Erofeev's lawyer Osksana Sokolovskaya said case files for both defendants disappeared, impeding a proper defense. Conviction and sentencing were automatic, justice systematically denied.

Russian Foreign Ministry's human rights commissioner Konstantin Dolgov said over 100 Russian nationals are detained in Ukraine on spurious charges - relating to hostilities in Donbass.

They're wrongfully "accused of creating a threat to Ukraine's territorial integrity." Moscow continues working for their release despite regime "obstacles and barriers" they face.

"(V)irtually no international legal norms in the area of human rights are working" in Ukraine, Dolgov explained.

Russian Consul to Ukraine Alexey Gruby said "all possible (legal) steps (are being taken) to return our citizens to their homeland."

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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