Russia/Ukraine: Poroshenko urges Putin to release Savchenko
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 28 January 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia/Ukraine: Poroshenko urges Putin to release Savchenko, 28 January 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/54e1a44915.html [accessed 8 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 28, 2015
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to release the jailed Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko.
Poroshenko told Polish media on January 27 that he had sent a letter to Putin with the appeal.
Savchenko was captured by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine last June and transported to Russia.
She awaits trial for aiding in the killing of two Russian journalists during the conflict in eastern Ukraine, charges she denies.
To protest her detention, Savchenko has gone on hunger strike, now in its second month.
After her imprisonment in Russia, Savchenko was elected to the Ukrainian parliament in October.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on January 26 also urged Russia to release her.
In a letter publicized on January 12, Savchenko vowed to continue her fight, writing her "spirit cannot be crushed."
Based on reporting by Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
