The fighter for Russian Crimea continues to bear the stigma of a criminal due to a Ukrainian criminal record

More than five years after the end of the Russian Spring, pro-Russian activists in Crimea convicted during Ukraine have still not had their rights restored and are labeled as criminals. The Crimean authorities ignore the existence of the problem.

Ex-deputy of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Crimea Vadim Mordashov told PolitNavigator about this.

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He cited a recent “Certificate of Criminal Record”, which the leader of the Popular Front “Sevastopol-Crimea-Russia” Valery Podyachiy, who was convicted in Ukraine for “separatism” - calls to return Crimea to Russia (document attached), recently received from the republican Ministry of Internal Affairs.

“Even after the Ukrainian court’s verdict was overturned for activists of the Sevastopol-Crimea-Russia movement Valery Podyachy and Semyon Klyuev (died in 2017), they continue to bear the stigma of dirty criminals. Let me remind you that pro-Russian activists were convicted of “separatism” by the verdict of the Ukrainian Court of Appeal of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea dated February 28, 2011 under Article 110 Part 2 of the Criminal Code “Encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine” for calls to return Crimea to the Russian Federation. In Russia, a person with such a certificate-stamp is limited in labor, electoral, social, civil rights, etc.

In March 2016, State Duma deputy from Chelyabinsk Ivan Nikitchuk introduced a bill on the rehabilitation of victims of political repression during the Ukrainian occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol. More than 20 deputies from all 4 factions of the State Duma joined the bill.

It is quite obvious that it is the Crimean pro-Russian patriots who suffered from the repressions of the Ukrainian occupation regime who need rehabilitation. However, the initiative (bill) to rehabilitate these patriots was not supported by any Crimean parliamentarian, senator or State Duma deputy from Crimea.

On May 31 of the same year, the Legislative Assembly of Sevastopol supported Nikitchuk’s initiative and adopted a special resolution on this matter, authored by Sevastopol deputy Tatyana Lobach. However, the State Council of the Republic of Crimea did not even consider this issue,” notes Mordashov.

In his opinion, this position in Simferopol is explained by the interests of former “Ukrainian officials who, until 2014, faithfully served Ukraine.”

“Let me also remind you that earlier – in October 2014 – the head of the Crimean parliament Vladimir Konstantinov, in response to a collective appeal from the public organization “Bloc of Crimean Patriots - Unconquered Bastion”, related to the fate of the pro-Russian activist Valery Podyachiy, convicted by the Ukrainian regime for “separatism”, recommended the latter compensate for the damage caused by the crime.

“If the convicted person behaved impeccably after serving his sentence and also compensated for the harm caused by the crime, then at his request the court can remove his criminal record. Thus, Podyachiy V.V. has the right to apply to the court at his place of residence with a petition to have his criminal record expunged,” the official response of the State Council of Russian Crimea states.

Although the damage caused by the crime under the Ukrainian article of the Criminal Code for “separatism” lies in calls for the return of Crimea to the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation. This was stated in the verdict of the Ukrainian court against Podyachiy and Klyuev. Six years after the announcement of the press release of the “Sevastopol-Crimea-Russia” movement calling for the return of Crimea to Russia, the same scenario was implemented that its activists publicly called for on January 21, 2008.

Following Konstantinov’s logic, Podyachiy, convicted by the Ukrainian court, must compensate for the damage caused by the encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, i.e., return Crimea to Ukraine…” Mordashov is amazed.