The radio station Ekho Moskvy has published an appeal to Vladimir Putinon its website signed by a dozen prominent entertainers, including the actress Chulpan Khamatova, the directors Andrey Zvyagintsev and Yuri Norshtein, the TV presenters Vladimir Pozner and Ksenia Sobchak, and the head of Roskino, Ekaterina Mtsituridze. The cultural figures are asking the president to pardon Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who’s been on a hunger strike since May 14.

“Dear Mr. Putin! A man is dying. We don’t think his guilt is so great that he should have been given 20 years. He’s sincere and true in his convictions, and his indefinite hunger strike demonstrates this. It’s now necessary to show mercy in order to spare a man’s life,” the letter says.

Oleg Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks in Crimea. There has been an international campaign to lobby for his release. Read Meduza’s summary of why his case matters here. Sentsov is hunger striking for the release of Russia’s “Ukrainian political prisoners.” During his live call-in show in early June, Vladimir Putin said he isn’t currently considering exchanging Sentsov for Vyshinsky. The president argued that Sentsov was convicted of plotting terrorist attacks, while Vyshinsky was arrested in Ukraine last month for his actions as a journalist. “You can’t compare these things,” Putin said.

On June 19, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin has “repeatedly stated his view” on Sentsov, explaining that public outcry “cannot influence a court ruling that’s taken effect.” Repeating a line uttered many times about Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the president’s press secretary also stressed that Sentsov would need to ask for a pardon himself.

On June 15, Russia’s human rights commissioner reported that Sentsov had gained almost four and a half pounds since announcing his hunger strike.