Crimean political prisoner Afanasiev put into punishment isolation cell

Gennadii Afanasiev, who was convicted for allegedly preparing acts of terrorism in Crimea, was transported to penal colony in Syktyvkar and put into punishment isolation cell, reports Meduza.

Gennadii Afanasiev, who was convicted for allegedly preparing acts of terrorism in Crimea, was transported to penal colony in Syktyvkar and put into punishment isolation cell, reports Meduza.

According to Afanasiev’s lawyer Olexandr Popkov, he was punished for owning a blade. Afanasiev says that the blade was planted and suspects that it was done to toughen the conditions of his imprisonment. Besides being kept in smaller cells with stricter rules, prisoners in punishment isolation cells are restricted in their rights: they cannot be visited and cannot receive mail.

A week ago Afanasiev’s mother said that she has not heard from her son in a month since he was sent to Komi Republic.

Gennadii Afanasiev was sentenced to 7 years in prison in December 2014 for terrorist activities. The prosecution claimed that he was a part of terrorist organization that set on fire offices of Russian Community of Crimea and United Russia and was preparing a number of explosions in Simferopol.

Afanasiev pleaded guilty, made a deal with the prosecution and was tried using to special procedure. During the trial on Ukrainian activists Oleg Sentsov and Olexandr Kolchenko, who allegedly also were members of this terrorist organization, Afanasiev renounced his testimony and claimed he gave it under pressure.

In August 2015, Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while Kolchenko received 10 years. Both pleaded innocent.

krymsos.com