Savchenko announces dry hunger strike

Savchenko’s lawyers published her statement Friday morning. “I, Nadiya Savchenko, a citizen of Ukraine, announce a hunger strike without water starting from March 3, 2016 till my return to Ukraine alive or dead,” she said. She stressed that this is a defence action against the Russian government, Russian special services, investigators, judges and prosecutors who “are trying to conceal their crimes”. Among the latter, Savchenko named violation of international law, kidnapping from Ukraine and transportation to Russia against her will, as well as illegal detention and “dishonest court”. Before this, she was on a hunger strike with water for over 60 days. As we have reported, Savchenko is charged with complicity in the deaths of two Russian journalists who were covering the eastern Ukraine conflict, in June 2014. She denies the charges saying she was kidnapped by the pro-Russian militants before the reporters were killed, and spirited into Russia. This is her second hunger strike in the Russian prison where she’s been held since mid-2014.