A story of Nadiya Savchenko, Ukrainian pilot, who is currently illegally imprisoned in Russia under laughable charges. First thing you need to know is that Nadiya means Hope in English. Next, is that she is on a hunger strike for more than 36 days consequently. Now, to the other facts. Nadiya is a helicopter co-pilot in Ukrainian air force. After (pro-)Russian forces had downed a transport aircraft IL-76 (not long ago before MH-17 catastrophe), killing 49 people, Ukrainian air force almost ceased their activity in Anti-Terrorists Operation zone. So there was not much for her to do, and Nadiya took a leave and enlisted to a civil volunteer battalion in order to provide her military experience to wet-eared civilians. One day she was visiting combat grounds near Luhansk, when a heavy shelling started. Nadiya came in as a civilian, with her sister driving a civil car. They got into the vehicle and drove to the nearest Ukrainian FOB in order go get back with some medical help. At that point, Russian military patrol stopped her, asked for an ID and what she was doing there, and, after hearing her report, abducted Nadiya under gun and brought her to Russian territory. After a couple of days as a hostage in an unknown motel, where she wasnt presented with any charges, she was asked to stand witness in a case of killing of two Russian journalists, who were indeed killed in a bomb strike that happened the same day Nadiya was abducted, but 30 miles away from that place. She, understanding her innocence, agreed to witness. But right after Nadiya was transferred to Moscow, rules changed: she became not a witness, but a convict. One might wonder how can a person become a convict before being a suspect. But that is how they rule in Russia. Put it in jail and wait until it breaks. But Nadiya didnt break. Instead, she and her lawyers raised an alarm, they got irrefutable proofs that she was never close to the place where Russian journalists were killed, they got all the data from her cell provider confirming that at the time of killing she was more than 30 miles from the bomb strike, not being able to coordinate any kind of fire. Russia has no evidence of her ever being engaged in that case. Yet Nadiya is charged with assistance in aiming a strike that happened more than 30 miles away from where she was. More importantly, some evidence say that she was abducted _before_ the strike happened. She is not considered a prisoner of war by Russian law. She has been elected to Ukrainian Parliament, but Russia did not provide her with an immunity. She has filed numerous claims to Russian court, all of them rejected. European Parliament considers her imprisonment illegal. In a nutshell, Russia keeps Ukrainian woman in prison just BECAUSE THEY CAN. For no reason. They just happened to get hold of her - a hostage. And no-one protests, no-one is willing to burn the jail shes in to the ground, no-one takes Russian embassy hostages and demands an exchange. Were civilized. But that means we play by the rules with a cheater. On Jan, 19th, the day of Baptizing in Orthodox calendar, Nadiya wrote a letter to the people of the world, asking everyone to show their support in peaceful way by just going out to the streets on January, 26th. This is indeed a Baptizing - embracing Christian and non-religious humanitarian values by showing support to a sister in need, by protesting to an unfair judgment, lawlessness, and, lets name and shame it, terrorism. You might think one voice, one sign on the street, one man getting out of the comfort zone means nothing. But that is not true at all. While you might think youd look stupid alone on the street with a support sign, also think about how a girl feels after a month of hunger strike, in Russian prison, how alone she might feel, how forgotten and unknown to the world. Come out and show your support on Jan, 26, in your city, wherever you are. That is a great excuse to post a selfie. Create a Facebook event and invite your friends. Do something. Because now this story might not be very touching or world-known, but if you dont get out, youd be crying over it in just a couple of weeks. I urge Илья Новиков, Nadiyas court representative, to answer any of the questions you might have. Please repost. That is a first please-repost Im using in months, after urging you to pass a 2828 bill for Ukraine.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 21:13:17 +0000
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