Russia Keeps Ukrainian Film Director in Jail till January

A Russian court ruled on Monday that a Ukrainian film director charged with terrorism must stay in jail until January despite international appeals for his release.

Oleg Sentsov was arrested in May in Simferopol, Crimea's main city, by Russia's FSB security service and charged with plotting and carrying out "terrorist attacks" after the region was annexed by Russia.

"The court upheld a request by investigators to extend Sentsov's detention behind bars for a further three months," the press secretary of Lefortovo district court told RIA Novosti news agency.

The head of Amnesty International, Salil Shetty, said on a visit to Moscow this month that Russia should "immediately" hand over Sentsov to Ukraine.

Top film directors including Spain's Pedro Almodovar and Britain's Ken Loach have expressed concern for Sentsov in an open letter to President Vladimir Putin. 

Sentsov has been charged with creating a terrorist group, carrying out two attacks and plotting two more, as well as illegally acquiring explosives, Grani.ru opposition news website wrote. 

Sentsov denies the charges.

In a speech in court cited by the website, Sentsov said he was "tortured and beaten up" and said "I wish for Russia to emerge from this darkness."

Three others have been arrested and charged in the same case.

They are accused of setting fire to a Russian community center and a branch of Russia's ruling party United Russia as well as plotting to blow up a Lenin statue and a World War II memorial, MediaZona human rights news website reported.

Sentsov, 38, lives in Crimea. He presented his first feature film, "Gaamer" about a computer-game obsessed teenager at the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2012. 

Amnesty has linked his case to that of a detained Ukrainian air force pilot, Nadiya Savchenko.

Amnesty chief Shetty said this month that both Sentsov and Savchenko were "detained on fabricated charges" and illegally removed to Russia.

Savchenko is accused of involvement in the deaths under mortar fire of two Russian television journalists in east Ukraine.

She has been transferred from a jail in central Russia to Moscow for a psychiatric evaluation, her lawyers said last week.