This is the latest of many abductions and disappearance since Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, and is made especially chilling by the FSB’s refusal to allow his family to report Ervin’s disappearance.

This is the latest of many abductions and disappearance since Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, and is made especially chilling by the FSB’s refusal to allow his family to report Ervin’s disappearance.

Nadiya Savchenko’s release is wonderful, but Western attempts to speak of Russia’s implementation of the Minsk Agreement seem at very best optimistic. There is little or no progress on freeing the other Ukrainians unlawfully held in Russia and a large, and increasing number of Ukrainians, most of them Crimean Tatars, imprisoned in Russian-occupied Crimea.

The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) has suspended its visit to Ukraine after being denied access to places in several parts of the country where it suspects people are being deprived of their liberty by the Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU.

Instead of closing down as promised after a previous scandal, the contentious Myrotvorets website has published a new list, this time ‘exposing’ journalists working in Russia. Those it accuses of ’collaboration’ include UNIAN’s Roman Tsymbalyuk who has for two years running asked extremely hard-hitting questions of Vladimir Putin about Russia’s aggression against Ukraine

Crimean prisoners sentenced under Ukrainian law are having Russian citizenship foisted on them and being illegally ‘retried’ under Russian law. Elvis Asanov, a life prisoner, registered his protest at such attempts on May 11 by slashing his throat directly in the courtroom.

Sergei Gandlevsky was detained on May 23 by police officers at the Lubyanka Metro station in Moscow after he ripped down a portrait of the bloody dictator Joseph Stalin stuck on a wall

Our cry must be heard, so that the horror of the past is not repeated here and now. Our voice must ring out because the world is now silent about the fate of the Crimean Tatars. This was the message on May 18 from Yaakov Dov Bleich, Chief Rabbi of Ukraine

Russia has hidden Crimean political prisoners: renowned filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko; Gennady Afanasyev and Oleksiy Chirniy as far from their families, the media and western diplomats as could be achieved, which in Russia is far. Join Ukrainian civic organizations in proving that it’s not far enough!

The fallout from the senseless deaths of 298 people is not going away. Sooner or later, Vladimir Putin and his cronies will need to answer for their actions.

PLEASE SEND, SHARE & TWEET BIRTHDAY GREETINGS to Crimean Tatar political prisoner Mustafa #Degermendzhy who is turning 27 on May 22. It is his second birthday in custody in Russian-occupied Crimea facing absurd charges linked with a pre-annexation demonstration over which Russia has no jurisdiction. .

PLEASE SEND, SHARE & TWEET BIRTHDAY GREETINGS to Crimean Tatar political prisoner Mustafa #Degermendzhy who is turning 27 on May 22. It is his second birthday in custody in Russian-occupied Crimea facing absurd charges linked with a pre-annexation demonstration over which Russia has no jurisdiction. .

Can lies that kill and distortion of events that have led to mass human rights violations be protected by the right to freedom of speech? Swedish TV SVT seems to think that they can since it has, despite strong protest, decided to broadcast Paul Moreira’s ‘Masks of the Revolution’ which gravely misrepresents Euromaidan, a tragedy in Odesa and Russia’s annexation of Crimea

Newly-appointed Prosecutor General Yury Lutsenko has held a meeting with lawyers representing victims of crimes against Euromaidan. While it is definitely early days, the lawyers are obviously pleased at the moves Lutsenko has announced which may help to remove the sources of sabotage from within the Prosecutor General’s Office

It is Mykola Karpyuk’s birthday on May 21. Please write to him and to Stanislav Klykh! The two recognized political prisoners have been, as expected, convicted of supposed crimes in Chechnya despite all historical evidence and alibis

A Ukrainian volunteer fighter from Makiyivka who is on Ukraine’s list for exchange has been ‘sentenced’ to 30 years in the so-called ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ [DNR]. The Kremlin-backed militants have ‘convicted’ Yevhen Chudnetsov of “an attempt to violently seize power on the republic’s territory”.

A Ukrainian volunteer fighter from Makiyivka who is on Ukraine’s list for exchange has been ‘sentenced’ to 30 years in the so-called ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ [DNR]. The Kremlin-backed militants have ‘convicted’ Yevhen Chudnetsov of “an attempt to violently seize power on the republic’s territory”.

Human rights activists have called for the adoption of draft bill 2708 which aims to remove the current possibility of extending prisoners’ sentences over alleged minor offences.

The trial has begun of four Crimean Muslims accused by Russia of involvement in an organization – Hizb ut-Tahrir - which is legal in Ukraine but which Russia and Uzbekistan have declared ‘terrorist’ without providing any reason. The ‘court’ on Wednesday also saw no need for the defence to be shown any proof.

The trial has begun of four Crimean Muslims accused by Russia of involvement in an organization – Hizb ut-Tahrir - which is legal in Ukraine but which Russia and Uzbekistan have declared ‘terrorist’ without providing any reason. The ‘court’ on Wednesday also saw no need for the defence to be shown any proof.