Russian court sentences 77-year-old Crimean political prisoner to 18 years over alleged assassination plot
A Russian military court has sentenced 77-year-old Volodymyr Ananiev, described by human rights advocates as Crimea's oldest political prisoner, to 18 years in prison over an alleged plot to assassinate the Russian-installed head of occupied Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov.
The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don ordered Ananiev to serve the first four years in prison and the remainder in a maximum-security penal colony. He was also fined 600,000 rubles, according to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.
Russian authorities accuse Ananiev of belonging to a group that allegedly monitored Aksyonov's official vehicle and planned to destroy it with an explosive device. The allegations have not been independently verified.
Ananiev was detained in Russian-occupied Simferopol on February 2, 2024. Two other defendants in the case, Volodymyr Bodnar and Oksana Shevchenko, previously received prison sentences of 13 and 10 years, respectively.
Ananiev has undergone surgery on both eyes and suffers from multiple health problems affecting his vision, spine, kidneys and legs. He walks with a cane.
His wife, Anna Sviatnenko, told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne that the case was fabricated and that his lawyers intend to appeal the verdict.
Olha Skrypnyk, head of the Crimean Human Rights Group, said the sentence could effectively amount to a death sentence given Ananiev's age and health.
If he serves the full term, Ananiev would be 95 upon release.
According to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, 64 elderly Crimean political prisoners have faced persecution by Russian authorities. Of those, 45 have received sentences and 19 remain in pretrial detention.
Russia has occupied Crimea since 2014, in violation of international law.