Captured Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko, who went on trial in southern Russia's Rostov region on Sep. 22, has pledged to go on hunger strike, her lawyers Mark Feygin and Nikolai Polozov wrote on Twitter Thursday.
Polozov later wrote in a separate post that his client demanded to be released, and intended to stop drinking water if she was sentenced.
Савченко: я с завтрашнего дня объявляю голодовку до конца суда! #FreeSavchenko
— Николай Полозов (@Moscow_advokat) December 17, 2015
He also accused President Vladimir Putin of “double standards,” referring to a statement the president made earlier on Thursday during his annual press conference regarding the FIFA fraud trial, in which he said that “foreign citizens could not be hunted down all across the world and brought to trial.”
Savchenko previously went on a hunger strike in December 2014, and subsequently received glucose injections to support her health. She was hospitalized in April.
Earlier on Thursday, a Russian court ruled to extend her detention until April 16, 2016, the RBC news portal reported.
Savchenko faces 25 years in jail if found guilty of complicity in the killing of two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine and crossing into Russia illegally.
The pilot has said she was spirited into the country by pro-Moscow separatists after being captured in June 2014.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
