Poroshenko condemns Russian court's decision in Savchenko case
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced that sanctions will be imposed against those involved in the case of Nadiya Savchenko after a Russian court found her guilty of the murder of two Russian journalists and handed her a 22-year sentence, RBC reported. He also proposed to exchange two Russian servicemen being held in Ukraine for Savchenko.
During a speech made earlier today in response to the court’s verdict, Poroshenko said that Ukraine will never recognize “the so-called sentence”.
"Against all those involved in the prosecution of Nadiya Savchenko, Oleg Sentsova, and other citizens of Ukraine, Ukrainian patriots, will be introduced personal sanctions, both Ukrainian and international," - Poroshenko said.
The Ukrainian President also expressed his readiness to exchange two Russian soldiers who were detained “for their participation in the armed aggression against Ukraine.”
"Immediately after the completion of the trials I am ready… to ensure their departure to Russia. This approach is consistent with paragraph six of the Minsk agreements, concerning the exchange of all for all. And this should be done immediately, " he stated.
Poroshenko recently gave European Council President Donald Tusk a list of people against whom Kiev proposes to impose personal sanctions for their involvement in the case. A Radio Liberty correspondent reported that the list includes 44 Russians and two Ukrainians.
Savchenko was found guilty of the murder of two Russian journalists. 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.
She was elected to the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada in absentia in October of 2014, and became an official delegate of the PACE several months later.
Savchenko declared a dry hunger strike on 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 court hearing.
Rallies in support of her immediate release have taken place in Ukraine, Russia and other countries around the world, and many western leaders consider the case to be little more than a show trial.