Ukraine’s envoy seeks global intervention on convicted Nadiia Savchenko

The Ambassador of Ukraine to Nigeria, Dr. Valerii Aleksandruk, has called on international community to order the release of Nadiia Savchenko by Russian government.

Savchenko, a female pilot citizen of Ukraine found guilty of war crime, was sentenced on Tuesday by a Russian court to 22 years in prison.

Speaking with The Guardian yesterday, the envoy noted that the release of Savchenko from Kremlin’s captivity is a common task for Ukraine and all countries that respect human rights and human values.

Should their plea fail to placate Russia, the ambassador has suggested personal sanctions, both by Ukraine and the international community on all those involved in the persecution of Savchenko, Oleg Sentsov and other citizens of Ukraine.

Ambassador Aleksandruk stated that having condemned Savchenko and holding her in custody, the Russian Federation had violated the Minsk agreements and pointedly ignored the appeals of world leaders and the international community.

“According to item five of the Minsk protocol and item six of the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, all hostages were to be released, including Savchenko.

“Russia has also not taken into account the calls of the international community regarding the application of the principle of humanism to Nadiia Savchenko due to her worsened health that threatened her life;

“Responsibility for the release of Nadiia Savchenko and other Ukrainian hostages, as well as for the implementation of the rest of the Minsk Agreements and settling peace, now is entirely in the hands of the Russian Federation.

“The case of Savchenko demonstrated definitively that there is no impartial court and justice in Russia, but only the hybrid court proceedings as part of a hybrid war against Ukraine and human values”, the Envoy said.

Adding: “Savchenko became a hostage to Russia’s totalitarian regime and its policy of aggression against democratic values.