A photograph of Nadia Savchenko in the courtroom (see the front page) spread over the Internet past week. Wearing the Den T-shirt, which her sister Vira managed to pass to her, Nadia wrote the only question on it: “When will you free the Ukrainians you kidnapped and are illegally holding in Russian jails?” The question was addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin who was holding his tradition end-of-year press conference at that very time. UNIAN news agency journalist Roman Tsymbaliuk asked a similar question at the same conference. The answer was that “the Ukrainian hostages held in the Russian Federation should be exchanged on an equivalent basis.”
Meanwhile, the board of justices hearing the case of the Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko at the Donetsk (Rostov oblast) City Court has turned down the defense application that documents obtained via Ukraine’s Consulate General in Rostov-on-Don be added to the criminal case, Savchenko’s lawyer Nikolai Polozov said. He also writes that “the court has accepted the prosecutors’ plea to extend holding Savchenko in custody until April 16, 2016.” Nadia said in response that she was refusing to eat until the sentence was pronounced and to drink water thereafter.
“It is so unexpected for me that the arrest was extended until April – it’s like a bolt from the blue. It’s very bad. But Nadia has gone on a hunger strike. Nadia is doing everything right. She shows that ‘the goods are perishing, so sell or exchange it quicker.’ But they are bargaining. This is the way she is saving herself. It is important,” the illegally imprisoned pilot’s sister Vira says to The Day.
Photo from Mark FEYGIN's Facebook page
“Putin says he wants to exchange all for all. When asked if he is prepared to exchange Yerofeyev and Aleksandrov for Savchenko, Sentsov, Kolchenko, Afanasiev, Karpiuk, and others, Putin said there must be an equivalent exchange. In other words, he means there are too few Russian POWs in Ukraine. So, do we have to catch enough Russians in Syria? Or should we exchange the militants held in Kyiv’s pretrial jail? Does Putin need them? But they represent the Donbas people Putin is defending. Maybe, he doesn’t know about them?” Vira Savchenko continues. “It is claimed that Putin and Poroshenko show solidarity in this matter. But it remains to be understood what this solidarity is about. We must think over and analyze what is going on. Out of what I heard, Putin seems to want to exchange the POWs. Does Poroshenko really not want to? I don’t believe it. So, what’s the matter?”
Vira says one of her next plans is to travel to Russia. She will go there together with her mother Maria. There is a permission to visit Nadia. Vira is not afraid to go to Russia, although she points out that she must be more cautious now. “I know for sure that if Russia wanted to, it would put me inside, for they have no laws there. So, they have just flexed their muscles, and it is really more frightening to travel there. For this reason, I only cross the border with a consul in the consulate’s car. For this, my heartiest thanks to the foreign ministry,” she says.
Vira recently bought some of Den’s books, including the new political-journalism triptych and history publications. She also passed to her sister, at our request, a Den T-shirt, which Nadia Savchenko wore in the courtroom. “It really suits Nadia,” Vira says, “but I have not yet passed your books to the sister. Firstly, I bought them for myself. I’ve had no time so far to read them, for I have to deal with this parody of justice all the time, but still I’ve ‘taken a bite.’ I am sure to read them. Secondly, it is difficult to pass Ukrainian books to Nadia. I had even her books taken away on the border. But this is not only Nadia’s situation. Earlier, I managed to pass your book – I think it was Petro Hryhorenko [from the series “Armor-Piercing Political Writing.” – Ed.] – to Karpiuk. But now it is forbidden to pass Ukrainian books and periodicals to prisoners. I would buy and send them various magazines and the newspaper Den. But I’m afraid all this is being thrown away now. That’s the current situation – they are putting the screws on,” Vira said in conclusion.
