Preliminary hearing into Savchenko's case resumes in Russia
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 15 September 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Preliminary hearing into Savchenko's case resumes in Russia, 15 September 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/561d046013.html [accessed 2 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. |
September 15, 2015
A Russian court has resumed the preliminary hearing into the high-profile case against Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko, charged with providing information that led to the deaths of two Russian journalists.
The hearing in the town of Donetsk in Russia's Rostov region is being held behind closed doors.
Russian officials say Savchenko, who served in a volunteer battalion in eastern Ukraine where Ukrainian forces are fighting Russian-backed separatists, provided the coordinates for a mortar attack that killed the journalists last summer.
Savchenko strongly denies the charges and says she was captured by rebels in Ukraine and smuggled into Russia. She had gone on a hunger strike to protest her detention.
International rights groups and many Western governments have called for Savchenko to be released.
Last month, the Rostov regional court rejected a defense request to move Savchenko's trial to Moscow.
Based on reporting by Rapsinews.ru and Interfax
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
