The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Crimean activist Volodymyr Ananiev, 77, to 18 years on Oct. 22 in a case involving an alleged plan to attack Sergey Aksyonov, Russia’s installed head of occupied Crimea.
The court’s press service, quoted by RAPSI, said Ananiev was found guilty of offenses involving explosive devices and an attempted terrorist act. Four years of the term are assigned to prison, followed by transfer to a strict-regime correctional colony. The sentence also carries a 600,000-ruble fine. The press service said the verdict has not taken legal effect and may be appealed to the Appeal Military Court.
In the court’s account, the group intended to target Aksyonov’s official car with a remotely controlled explosive device. The court said Ananiev gave the group’s leader access to a live camera feed from a rented nonresidential space in Simferopol; the camera faced a road. It also said he stored explosive devices and related components at the site.
Ananiev’s wife, Anna Sviatnenko, told Suspilne that lawyers were preparing an appeal and called the case fabricated. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center (CTRC) reported that Ananiev has had operations on both eyes and suffers from high blood pressure, as well as problems involving his spine, muscles, kidneys and legs. The center said he uses a cane.
TASS reported, citing a court representative, that prosecutors had sought 22 years, including five years in prison before transfer to a strict-regime colony, and a 650,000-ruble fine. CTRC cited that account. The center said two other defendants, Volodymyr Bodnar and Oksana Shevchenko, had received sentences of 13 and 10 years, respectively.
At an Oct. 8 conference, CTRC said 64 of the 385 Crimean political prisoners it counted in detention were elderly. The court said Ananiev may appeal, while Sviatnenko said the defense is preparing one.
