Mykola Karpiuk, co-founder of UNA-UNSO and former Russian prisoner, dies at front
Mykola Karpiuk, a co-founder of the organization UNA-UNSO (Ukrainian National Assembly — Ukrainian People's Self-Defense), a public and political figure and a Kremlin political prisoner, died at the front, blogger Yurii Honcharenko reported on Facebook on Sept. 20.
Mykola Karpiuk, a co-founder of the Ukrainian National Assembly – Ukrainian People's Self-Defense and a former political prisoner in Russia, has passed away at the frontlines, according to blogger Yurii Honcharenko on Facebook. This loss is immeasurable, as he devoted his life to Ukraine without seeking fame or power. In March 2014, Karpiuk was abducted by Russian special forces near the Russian-Ukrainian border.
He was later given a fabricated 22.5-year prison sentence by a Russian court for his alleged involvement in Chechen hostilities between 1994 and 2001. The sentence was reinforced by the Russian Supreme Court on October 26, 2016, alongside another Ukrainian convicted, Stanislav Klykh. During the proceedings, their lawyers argued that their testimonies were extracted through torture.
Despite this, the appeal was denied by the Russian Supreme Court, with Amnesty International deeming them victims of a miscarriage of justice in Russia. Karpiuk returned to Ukraine in September 2019 as part of a prisoner swap.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
