Spent 10 years in prison in Russia. Political prisoner Kolomiyets returned to Ukraine

Euromaidan activist returned to Ukraine after 10 years in prison in Russia

According to glavcom.ua: Andrii Kolomiyets, who participated in the Revolution of Dignity, returned to Ukraine after ten years of imprisonment in Russia on politically motivated charges. He was unlawfully sentenced to ten years in prison for attacking 'Berkut' officers in Kyiv. Upon the completion of his sentence, Russia deported him to the Russian-Georgian border.

According to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hryhoriy Tykhyy, the Ukrainian embassy in Georgia learned about the situation and established contact with Kolomiyets. It turned out that he had no identity documents, so he ended up at a checkpoint. After that, he was helped to get to Georgia, and later he went to Moldova.

«At the moment, I can confirm that he is already on the territory of Ukraine, which means he has returned to Ukraine. We welcome him, his relatives, everyone who worried about his return. This is indeed a happy day for these people. Finally, a person has returned, our Euromaidan activist who stood by his principles and did not succumb,» noted the MFA spokesperson.

The Kyiv District Court of Simferopol had earlier sentenced the Ukrainian activist to 10 years in a maximum security colony, but Ukraine did not recognize this verdict issued in the Russian-occupied Crimea. There were also mentions of other Ukrainians who are in Russian places of imprisonment on politically motivated charges.

The return of Andrii Kolomiyets to Ukraine is an important event that indicates that Ukrainian activists fighting for democracy and human rights continue to stand firm and tirelessly prove their innocence even after many years of imprisonment abroad.