Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Addresses Russian Counterpart about Savchenko

Valeriya Lutkovska, Commisioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Human Rights, has urged Russian Ombudsman (Commissioner for Human Rights) Ella Pamfilova to be mindful of Nadiya Savchenko’s health and to restore her rights. Savchenko, a Ukrainian Army pilot, was kidnapped from Ukraine and is being held illegally in Moscow prison. She started a hunger strike on December 13 and is planning to endure until the end.

In an open letter, Lutkovska also calls on Pamfilova to cooperate in organizing a meeting between Nadiya and her sister Vira, reports “The Day” newspaper.

“In our phone conversation on Monday, January 12, 2015, I stressed the life-threatening condition of Nadiya Savchenko and asked you to render assistance to her sister Vira Savchenko in crossing the Russian border and meeting with Nadiya”, writes Lutkovska.

However, according to the Ukrainian Commissioner, four days later there remained no follow-through from the Russian Ombudsman, despite the promise to assist in resolving this issue. 

As posted earlier on the Facebook page of Euromaidan SOS, several protestors in support of Savchenko were detained in Moscow, including Ekaterina Maldon, Oleg Mokryakov, Ivan Dudko, and Aleksandr Ageyev, a correspondent for “Grani.Ru”. They parked outside of the prison where Savchenko is being held and loudly played the Ukrainian national anthem.