Militants Jail Captured Centre.UA Employee for Two Years
Volodymyr Fomichev, an employee of civic organization Centre.UA, who was captured by militants of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), was jailed for two years, Hromadske informs on Thursday, August 18.
Volodymyr Fomichev (23), who works for Centre.UA, an organization that investigates political crimes and develops reform programs was captured by militants of the so-called DNR in Makiyivka on January 4, 2016.
Fomichev spent seven months in DNR jails before the local ‘court’ made the decision to jail him for two years. He is accused of bringing two grenades from Kyiv to Makiyivka.
Fomichev’s situation was not publicly discussed in the media on the request of his family. This often happens to people who encounter such a situation for the first time, as they hope they will be able to ‘quitely’ solve it. This didn’t work out for Fomichev, who was also accused of cooperation with the Svoboda political party, but this accusation was later dropped due to a lack of evidence.
In May, Fomichev’s parents received his personal effects that the ‘Ministry of State Security’ of the so-called DNR seized during arrest. They included a sweater that was soaked in blood — leading his parents to think that he was put under physical pressure to make him falsely admit he transported a grenade.
Fomichev’s loved ones describe him as a "kind, calm, shy boy," unable to do anything radical. He majored in philosophy and investigated political and social processes in the the eastern part of Ukraine when working in the ‘Strong Communities of Donetsk Region’ in Centre.UA.
The parents are planning to file a cassation appeal to the ‘DNR court’, but the chances to cancel the decision are slim. As a rule, Ukrainian military personnel arrested on the occupied territories are included in POW exchange lists. But Fomichev is not a military serviceman, and it is unclear if he is listed for exchange.
Source: Ukrayinska Pravda
