European Parliament MPs, British government call for immediate release of Savchenko
Deputies of the European Parliament and the city of London have called for the release of Ukrainian pilot, Nadiya Savchenko. In a letter addressed to Savchenko, 26 deputies announced their intention to “continue their struggle” for her release. This letter was posted by Savchenko’s lawyer, Mark Freygin, on his Facebook page. The Ukrainian pilot is seen to be a victim of the unjust regime of the Kremlin. European parliamentarians have called Savchenko’s behavior “an example of strong patriotism” and praised her “commitment to the people of Ukraine”.
They expressed their admiration for her persistence to challenge the courts who seem to function “in Kafka style where the facts, evidence and statements are changed depending on which way the Kremlin wind blows”, as reported by Deutsche Welle. The European Parliament intends to continue to call for Savchenko’s release at various national and international political levels. They also plan on discussing her detention during meetings with their Russian colleagues. In addition, they plan to call on Moscow for their assistance in finding a resolution to issues relating to Ukraine.
The British government has expressed its concern that Savchenko has gone on a hunger strike. The British Minister for European Affairs, David Lidington, has expressed their concern in a statement posted on the country’s Foreign Ministry website. He stressed that Savchenko’s refusal of food and water represents a real threat to her life. He called for the Russian Government “to show compassion and immediately free” Savchenko.
Savchenko declared a dry hunger strike starting March 3rd after the Donetsk City Court in the Rostov region announced that she would not be given a chance to make her final closing statement during a hearing.
Nadiya Savchenko has been charged with the murder of two Russian journalists as well as charges of attempted murder of members of the separatists group and of illegally crossing the Russian border. It is widely believed that Savchenko was in fact captured by Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) separatists in eastern Ukraine and was illegally transported to Russia, where the case was fabricated against her.