European Parliament to vote on resolution condemning Russia for show trials

The resolution strongly condemns the imprisonment of Kohver, who according to the authors of the resolution was abducted on September 5, 2014 at gunpoint by the Russian Security Service (FSB) on Estonian soil, constituting "a blatant breach of international law." The resolution also strongly condemns the illegal arrests and imprisonment of Sentsov and Kolchenko and the use of torture to extract testimony from them. "[The European Parliament] urges the Russian Federation to act accordingly with its international obligations and release Kohver, Savchenko [Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko], Sentsov, Kolchenko, other political prisoners, and guarantee their safe return to Estonia and Ukraine," reads the resolution. The resolution underlines that Russia has agreed to exchange all political hostages and illegally detained persons under the Minsk agreements, however thus far the country has failed to meet this commitment, and has in fact aggravated the situation. The European Parliament has also expressed its concern regarding Russia's recent compliance with its international and national obligations. The Pskov Region Court sentenced Kohver to 15 years in prison on August 19, 2015. The North Caucasus District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Sentsov guilty of plotting terrorist attacks in Crimea and sentenced him to 20 years in a high-security penitentiary. The court also sentenced Kolchenko to 10 years in a high-security penitentiary in the same proceeding.