Injustice In Ukraine

[JH]

Hello all.

I am an American living in Crimea, together with my wife (an Ukrainian citizen) and our 18 year old son Artur.

On December 11, 2004, while attending University in Kherson, Artur was involved in an altercation with a taxi driver near Nickalaev.

He was then arrested, taken to a local police station, hung from a broom stick and tortured. He was beaten so severly that today, 6 months later he has scars on his face and hands, and is nearly deaf in one ear. At the same time his money, mobile phone and bank card were stolen by the police. He was beaten further, until he gave his PIN code. The police emptied his bank account as well.

Since then he has remained in jail, the legal circus continues and his rights still smashed.

At the time of his arrest he was not allowed to contact us or an attorney. We found out about his imprisonment only after filing a missing persons report. It was not until February 2 that we saw Artur, no doubt to let the signs of his torture fade.

We are writing here to gain media exposure for the case, we believe that with enough of a voice the corrupt officials will be forced to relent. To this end we would ask you all to visit the site http://www.ukrainejustice.com and consider spreading the word.

It is time to put the past aside in Ukraine and join the 21st century.