15:10, 29 September 2015

In Donetsk, activist holds picket in support of Nadezhda Savchenko

Solo picket in front of the Donetsk City Court of the Rostov Region, Septeber 29, 2015. Photo by Konstantin Volgin for the ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Today, a picket in support of Ukrainian aviator Nadezhda Savchenko has been held in front of the building of the Donetsk City Court in the Rostov Region, where the trial in the case against Nadezhda Savchenko, accused of the murder of Russian journalists, is conducted. Advocates have reported the beginning of the action in support of their client.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Nadezhda Savchenko is accused of involvement in the killing of two employees of the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (known as VGTRK) near Lugansk and illegal border crossing. The case against Nadezhda Savchenko is being considered at the Donetsk City Court in the Rostov Region. The defence insists on her innocence. The Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has included the name of Nadezhda Savchenko in the list of persons recognized as political prisoners.

Today, a young woman, wearing a T-shirt with inscription reading: "I'm not afraid", has stood in front of the court building in Donetsk. In her hands, she was holding a poster reading: "Liberty to Nadezhda Savchenko!" The poster also contained a pasted photo of the Ukrainian aviator and the stylized coat of arms of Ukraine, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Several minutes after the beginning of the picket, the young woman was approached by policemen. They demanded from the picketer to present her documents and then copied her passport data.

The poster of the picketer also contains hashtag #FreeSavchenko. This is a hashtag for the action in support of Nadezhda Savchenko, the advocates of the Ukrainian citizen report.

"On September 28, on the occasion of Putin's speech at the UN, another worldwide day in support of Nadezhda Savchenko is held. There is no unified format, and anyone who wants can do anything that seems the best to him or her in own city or on own page in social networks," wrote Ilya Novikov, an advocate of Nadezhda Savchenko, on his Facebook page on September 27.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.