The Ukrainian government’s human rights chief has been denied access to Oleg Sentsov, a Crimean film director serving a 20-year jail sentence in Russia for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks. Sentsov has been on an indefinite hunger strike for over a month demanding the release of Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia. Human rights officials from Russia and Ukraine had arranged to visit 34 prisoners in each neighboring state beginning this Saturday, Russia’s ombudswoman announced earlier this week.

news Russian Celebrities Join Flashmob in Support of Jailed Ukrainian Filmmaker Sentsov Read more

But Ukraine’s ombudswoman Lyudmila Denisova said in a Facebook video that when she arrived to the penal colony in Russia’s Far North where Sentsov is held, she was told: “I can under no circumstances see Oleg Sentsov.” Russia had initially suggested a visit to Senstov after June 22, but the Ukrainian official, concerned about the hunger striker’s health, insisted on an earlier visit, reports Interfax. Russia’s ombudswoman Tatiana Moskalkova accused Denisova of violating their arrangement by beginning the visits too early, according to Interfax. State-run TASS news agency quoted Moskalkova as saying that Denisova’s presence in the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous district violated Russian law. Addressing Denisova’s concerns, Moskalkova said she had sent an inquiry to the Federal Prison Service on the state of Sentsov’s health.