White House, European MPs appeal for action on Savchenko case

Fifty-seven European Parliament MPs issued an appeal on March 8 to EU Foreign Affairs Minister Federica Mogherini to impose sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and 28 Russian and Ukrainian officials involved in the illegal kidnapping, transfer and incarceration of Nadiya Savchenko, the imprisoned Ukrainian fighter pilot who is charged with the murder of two Russian journalists. The same day, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called upon the Russian government to drop all criminal charges against Savchenko and release her in an appeal published on the White House website.

The Russian government detained on March 9 three Ukrainian MPs who flew to Moscow to attend the court trial of Savchenko. The MPs have been released, according to the report by the pravda.com.ua news site. Savchenko declared a hunger strike on March 3 after she was denied a chance to address the court. It’s widely recognized on an international level that the charges are fabricated. She faces up to 23 years imprisonment if convicted.

Zenon Zawada: The Savchenko affair has returned to the international radar screens with Savchenko’s hunger strike, which coincided with International Women’s Day, prompting yesterday’s high-level appeals. Putin will be using the trial – and Savchenko’s pending incarceration – to gain concessions from the West or Ukraine. We don’t expect the threats of more sanctions to influence Russian and Ukrainian officials. Her latest hunger strike, which reportedly includes refusing to drink water, may undermine Putin’s plan to use her as a negotiating chip, though her death would be a tragedy and an international scandal.