The Trial: The State of Russia vs Oleg Sentsov

Oleg Sentsov is a Ukrainian filmmaker, Euromaidan activist and native of Crimea. After the Russian annexation of Crimea, he became an active opponent of the occupation. In May 2014, he was arrested by the Russian security service, charged with planned terrorist attacks and transported to Moscow. After over a year in custody, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, despite the fact that the testimonies were given under duress and evidence was insufficient. Sentsov never pled guilty. The proceedings against him were a show trial. It sent a message to everyone in Crimea: Anyone who openly opposes the Russian occupation runs the risk to be punished. Russian director Askold Kurov documented the trial against his colleague. After Russia escalated its unjust war against Ukraine from 24 February 2022 onwards, Oleg Sentsov became a soldier in the Ukrainian Army, while his colleague Askold Kurov fled Russia.