The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its resolute protest with regard to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 12 September 2018 to uphold the verdict against citizen of Ukraine, journalist Roman Sushchenko who has been sentenced to 12 years of prison in a high-security penal colony under blatantly falsified allegations of espionage.

Brief duration of a Supreme Court session and a closed-door hearing with no presence of Ukrainian and foreign diplomats as well as media testified once again to the custom-made nature of the falsified case against Roman Sushchenko and to the intent of the Russian side to cover up from the international community the actual control of the Kremlin over the Russian court system.

We demand an immediate cancellation of the illegal sentence against journalist Roman Sushchenko and ensuring of his release and return to Ukraine.

We call on the international community and international human rights institutions to strengthen political and economic pressure on the Russian Federation with a view to release and return to Ukraine Roman Sushchenko as well as other Ukrainian citizens who have become hostages of the Kremlin's current policy of ongoing aggression against Ukraine.