He is arrested for throwing paint on the memorial of Little Green Men

Citizen of Ukraine Maksym Sokurenko sentenced to six months in the open prison as he threw red paint on Little green men memorial in Simferopol as Crimean human rights group reported.

The text of the verdict says that the Ukrainian committed these actions “basing on the motives of the political hatred” caused by the non-recognition of the occupation of Crimea.

Judge Olga Chepel delivered the verdict on April 17, 2019, but the human rights activists got the information about it only now.

The Ukrainian is recognized guilty in the commitment of the crime qualified as vandalism and provided the punishment in the form of the deprivation of liberty for six months with the stay in the open colony.

“The term of the punishment to be calculated since the day of the delivering of the verdict, April 17, 2019. To count the term of the deprivation of liberty since the detention starting from January 28, 2019 to Sokurenko Maksym up to the day when the verdict comes into force, including the point of the Criminal Code, one day in detention is counted as two days of the punishment in the open colony,” the verdict says.

The document stays that Sokurenko did not plead guilty and stated about the refusal to get the Russian passport at the court session.

“Sokurenko is a citizen of Ukraine, he does not recognize the fact of entrance of Crimea to the membership of the Russian Federation on the results of the referendum on March 16, 2014 and he finds the placement of the state symbols of the Russian Federation at the territory of the Republic of Crimea to be illegal. To express his civilian position, to draw the attention of the current authority, he threw paint on the memorial to the soldiers and officers of the Russian army…,” the verdict said.

Besides, 37 people were arrested for political reasons in annexed Crimea in 2018. According to human right activist’s information, the Russians opened 44 criminal cases for political reasons in Crimea last year.