#PRISONERS

Polish inmates in British jails could soon be sent to serve their time in Poland under new rules being considered by UK authorities.

Russia handed down a 14-year prison sentence to a Crimean man on Friday, accusing him of treason for allegedly aiding the Ukrainian military.

Western governments and Russia’s exiled opposition should begin laying the groundwork for Russia’s democratic transition after President Vladimir Putin eventually leaves office, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition politician, said on Friday.

The European Parliament has called on the Belarusian authorities to provide information on the situation of political prisoners held in the country and allow them access to medical and legal support.

Russia and Ukraine conducted a major exchange of prisoners on Saturday, 206 in all, in their second such swap in two days, following negotiations mediated by the United Arab Emirates, officials said.

The U.K. is considering sending prisoners to Estonia as part of efforts to tackle overcrowding in English and Welsh jails, a British newspaper has reported.

The regime released 18 people from prison in early July and announced a pardon for 30 individuals on August 16.

The Russian prison service has freed a dangerous inmate just a week after he was jailed for the brutal rape and murder of an 85-year-old woman, so he can fight on the frontline in Ukraine, the victim’s family have said.

Over 100 Ukrainian soldiers have been released as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia, after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) acted as an intermediary.

The practice of recruiting Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine has resulted in their numbers in jails dropping by at least 150,000 since the start of the war, according to a report published by the UK Ministry of Defence.

Nearly 5,000 inmates in Ukraine have expressed willingness to join the military in exchange for parole were the relevant law to be enacted.

However, concerns persist as six other representatives from the Palestinian Red Crescent remain in Israeli custody.

The report documents rape threats and the use of electric shocks on genitals.