The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine condemns the false "sentence" of the Russian puppet court against Ukrainian activist-artist Bohdan Ziza, who was cynically sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony.

Bohdan Ziza called for the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners in the temporarily occupied Crimea and in Russia. In protest against the unjust verdict, he has announced that he will commence a hunger strike starting from 10 June.

Cultural and artistic activities are integral parts of any society. To condemn an individual for their artistic expression is a distortion of justice and a violation of the fundamental principles of democracy. The sentence imposed on Bohdan Ziza is a testament to the oppressive nature of the Russian totalitarian regime, which places no value on human life and freedom.

On 15 December 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution titled 'Situation of human rights in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine.' This resolution unequivocally condemned Russia's actions in Crimea and expressed deep concern regarding the reports of arbitrary detentions, arrests, and sentencing of Ukrainian citizens, including Bohdan Ziza.

We call on the international community to strongly condemn the actions of the Russian occupation administration in Crimea and to take measures to protect Bohdan Ziza and all other Ukrainian political prisoners illegally detained by Russia.