Sentsov's cousin visits him in Russian penitentiary
Natalia Kaplan, a cousin of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, has visited him at the penitentiary Bely Medved (Polar Bear) in Labytnangi in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, the Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske reported, citing Kaplan.
"I have visited Oleh Sentsov. We spoke for two hours. It was a brief visit. Oleh, who is 190 centimeters tall, weighs 75 kilograms; he has lost 15 kilograms since he went on hunger strike," Kaplan said.
Sentsov was grateful for the campaign in his support but disappointed that "other political prisoners were receiving little attention," she said. He believes "it would be a complete disaster if he is the only one who gets released," she said.
Sentsov asked everyone visiting Labytnangi to see "other political prisoners," for whose rights he is fighting, instead of him, Kaplan said. "For instance, he asked [Human Rights Commissioner] Liudmyla Denisova, independent doctors, [...] consuls, and Father Klyment to visit other political prisoners and never forget about them," she said.
Sentsov's health is not currently an issue; his condition is changing and test results are not great, but "there is nothing critical," she said.
"He felt very bad yesterday, and okay today. He walked to me. His condition worsens in the evening. He said he feels a bit better now. The first three weeks of the hunger strike were the worst. He is receiving intravenous treatment. He would have been dead without it. He has no intention to stop the hunger strike. He said he will keep fighting till the end and believes in his victory. He feels optimistic," Kaplan said.
"As to entertainment, he has television, he writes, and he edits his diaries. He asked not to send him any books, because he already has lots of them," Kaplan said.
The cousin last saw Sentsov during his trial in Rostov-on-Don in 2014.
In August 2015, the North Caucasus District Military Court sentenced Sentsov, who was detained in Crimea in 2014, to 20 years in a high-security penitentiary. He went on hunger strike on May 14, demanding that all Ukrainians held in Russia be released.
