Just a reminder: today the appeal against the 20-year prison sentence of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov is due to be heard in Moscow. He was arrested by the Russian Security Service last May after speaking out against Russia's annexation of Crimea and being actively involved in the pro-Western protest movement. Although the main witness withdrew his statement because it had been made under duress, the trial, in which Sentsov was accused of "preparing terrorist activities" continued as usual.
The conviction caused an international storm of protest, including from Russia itself. Amnesty International called it an "unfair trial by a military court". Sentsov and his lawyer stated that alleged confessions were forced through severe beatings.
In a new protest letter the European Film Academy (EFA) is now addressing the eminent director Nikita Mikhalkov in his position as president of the Russian Filmmakers' Union. The signatories, including Wim Wenders and Andrzej Wajda, ask him to make his voice heard and join the protest against the conviction, which the letter says violates human rights and freedom of expression. Mikhalkov, who is known as a supporter of President Putin, had spoken in favour of Sentsov's release at the closing ceremony of the Moscow Film Festival last year.
A recent article on the website of film trade magazine Screen International signals speculation about a possible exchange of Sentsov for Russian prisoners in Ukraine. However, a lawyer involved does not rate the chances of that very high.
Oleg Sentsov attended the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2012 with his film Gamer.
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