European Film Awards

Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who has been involved in supporting the Euro Maidan protests in Kiev and has opposed the annexation of Crimea by Russia, was arrested by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) in his house in Simferopol on 10 May and brought to Moscow where he is still detained and awaiting trial. Continuing our series introducing the members of the Board of the European Film Academy, EFA Deputy Chairman Mike Downey (pictured) talks about Sentsov’s case and EFA’s initiative to help.

You have been instrumental in financing Oleg Sentsov’s latest film RHINOCEROS that was due to be shot this year. Do you remember how you found out about his arrest and what your initial reaction was?

I have been working closely with Oleg’s producer in the Ukraine, Olga Zhurzhenko, on an adaptation of Julian Barnes’ seminal post-communist novel “The Porcupine” which we plan to shoot later in the year in Kiev. During that time I was able to help out with the financing on Oleg Sentsov’s film Rhinoceros. I was on my way to Cannes and wasn’t expecting to hear from Olga for a while as she was in Florida having just given birth to her first child. A message came out of the blue. It was simple: “unfortunately our director Oleg Sentsov has been taken by Russian FSB (like KGB during Soviet time) in Simferopol and is accused of terrorism. He will be moved to Moscow as far as we know during coming days. We managed to get him a good Russian lawyer but we don't know how and when this situation will end. We are trying to get people involved especially from Europe. Please pray for us. Всех благ, Ольга Журженко”

My initial reaction was shock. I asked myself how could this mild mannered gentleman who I had come to know ever be involved in something as unacceptable as terrorism? And then came the anger – and a furious zeal to do something about it. Within 48 hours we had alerted the international trade press and his story was all over Cannes.

There’s been very little information from the Russian authorities. Can you briefly summarise what happened after that? 

Oleg was held without trial for a few weeks and details of his fate were very obscure - until last month when he appeared at a pre-trial hearing in Moscow, which was televised. A brief summary of what he said there has been passed on by the Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa: 

Oleg claims that he has never been a member of “Right Sector” or any extremist group and that he has never planned any attacks in Crimea or elsewhere. He denied any charges and stated that he had been tortured. He also indicated that there is a danger of him being thrown out of the window. Oleg Sentsov considers himself a citizen of Ukraine (and not Russia), stating that he is “not a slave and cannot be transferred from one land owner to the other together with the land". He expressed his wish to return to his home country, Ukraine. 

What’s the most recent information you have, where is he now and how can people help?

The most recent information we have from his lawyer is that he has now made an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg regarding Oleg Sentsov’s arrest, pre-trial detention and ill treatment and requesting an interim measure regarding access to the case file: The serious charges brought against Mr. Sentsov, the complete secrecy of the criminal proceedings against him, the fact that he has been ill-treated after his arrest, his arbitrary arrest and transfer to Moscow and the refusal to allow representatives of the Ukrainian government to visit him, indicate a substantial risk for further abuse. In light of this, it is crucial that Mr. Sentsov’s lawyers are granted full access to the investigation files and particularly to all documents related to the pre-trial detention of Mr. Sentsov, as well as the investigation of his allegations of ill-treatment. 

We are also in direct contact with his sister Natalia. The message from both her and the attorney Yonko Grozev is that the more international coverage we can create, the better. The campaign, however, is in need of cash to keep the legal processes going, not necessarily for legal fees as many of his lawyers are working pro bono, but just to keep the case moving along. We believe at this point there may be a possibility to reverse the decision about keeping him in prison till the trial. Oleg is also still fighting for the recognition of his Ukrainian citizenship by Russian authorities. So far, the Ukrainian consul has been refused to visit him in prison. This is the result of an obscure law that automatically made all residents of the Crimea become Russian subjects unless they formally refuse Russian citizenship within one month after the annexation of the territory. Oleg didn't do this because, like many of his countrymen, he didn't know about it.

People can now help by writing letters of protest to the Russian ambassadors in their own country as well as trying to mobilise individuals in their national parliaments who have a special interest in Ukraine – this has been done with some success in the UK, questions have been raised in the House of Commons and a letter from William Hague to his opposite number is being prepared. The campaign also needs financial support.  Please support Oleg Sentsov and his family by donating into the fund EFA has set up!