Support The Moscow Times!

PACE Claims Jailed Ukrainian Pilot Savchenko is Immune From Russian Prosecution

Nadezhda Savchenko in a Moscow court defendant’s cage Wednesday.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has claimed that jailed Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko's membership in the organization provides her with immunity from prosecution, legal news agency RAPSI reported Wednesday.

According to RAPSI, attorney Ilya Novikov presented a PACE document at Moscow's Basmanny district court Wednesday stating it considered Savchenko, who was elected in absentia to the Ukrainian parliament in October and approved as a PACE delegate in January, had immunity from prosecution despite having become a parliamentarian after her alleged crime took place.

Russia accuses Savchenko, Ukraine's first female military pilot, of having abetted the deaths of Russian journalists Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin, who were killed by mortar fire in eastern Ukraine in June.

Savchenko, who claims she was captured by pro-Russian separatists and taken to Russia against her will last summer, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The court rejected PACE's argument, claiming Savchenko's status as a delegate does not make her eligible for immunity.

"Savchenko's alleged crime, her arrest and her initial detention occurred before she became a PACE delegate," the judge presiding over Wednesday's hearing, Artur Karpov, was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying. "This means that there are no grounds to change the conditions of her detention."

The court also dismissed Wednesday the defense's complaint about investigators' refusal to let Savchenko attend PACE sessions.

Russia withdrew in January its invitation to PACE monitors to visit Savchenko, who is currently being held at Moscow's high-security Lefortovo Prison. In February, the Investigative Committee overturned a request to drop charges against her.

Savchenko's health has been precarious since she embarked on a hunger strike in December. She complained Wednesday of chest pains in court, requesting that an ambulance be called to measure her blood pressure, pulse and blood sugar levels, Interfax news agency reported. Medical personnel on site confirmed that Savchenko was strong enough to take part in the hearing.

Contact the author at g.tetraultfarber@imedia.ru

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

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.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more