The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has responded to a request from the defense team of Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko accused in Russia of complicity in the killing of Russian journalists, asking her to end her hunger strike.
The ECHR said in a statement of Feb. 13, 2015, which is available
on the court’s Twitter account, that it inquired information on the
situation surrounding Savchenko from Russian authorities. “The Court
invited Ms Savchenko to put an end to her hunger strike and requested
the Russian Government to provide factual information concerning her
situation,” it said.
The court also said Savchenko’s application against Russia has been granted priority.
Savchenko’s defense lawyer Mark Feygin said Russia is supposed to
answer the inquiry by Feb. 18, 2015. “We would refrain from other
comments and will study the documents,” Feygin told Interfax on Friday
evening.
It was reported earlier that Savchenko, a 33-year-old pilot, was
fighting with the Aidar volunteer battalion in eastern Ukraine when she
was captured by militants in June near the town of Schastia, a suburb of
Luhansk. It was stated on July 8 that she was being held at the
Voronezh pre-trial detention facility in Russia.
On July 9, Russia indicted her for complicity in murder. Savchenko has rejected all charges. Ukraine is demanding her release.
On Oct. 27, the Moscow Basmanny Court ruled to extend Savchenko’s
arrest until February 13, 2015. On February 10, the same court extended
her arrest until May 13.
Savchenko went on a hunger strike in mid-December in response to the
prison’s failure to provide her with medical care. She has lost some
hearing since being imprisoned.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko earlier said he had raised the
issue of Savchenko’s release at the meeting in Minsk and “was informed
that it should be done after the medical evaluation is completed and
after the investigators draw tentative conclusions.”
The Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Interfax
on Friday that the issue of pilot Savchenko was indeed raised by
President Poroshenko during the Normandy Quartet summit in Minsk and
Russia made no promises, but gave explanations.
