Russia launches procedure for Nadezhda Savchenko's extradition to Ukraine, advocate reports

The procedure for extradition of Nadezhda Savchenko, a Ukrainian aviator, sentenced in Russia to 22 years of imprisonment, has been launched. This was reported by Mark Feighin, an advocate of Nadezhda Savchenko. His client has already received the documents to be filled in.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 22, Ukrainian aviator Nadezhda Savchenko was sentenced to 22 years of imprisonment on the charges of involvement in the killing of two Russian journalists in the Donbas and of illegal border crossing. Nadezhda Savchenko pleaded not guilty. On April 6, she declared an indefinite dry hunger strike. On April 19, at the request of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Nadezhda Savchenko agreed to stop her hunger strike. On April 20, the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) received a request for extradition of Nadezhda Savchenko to Ukraine.

The chief of the SIZO (pre-trial prison) in Novocherkassk gave Nadezhda Savchenko the documents to be filled in for her extradition to Ukraine. "Nadezhda is filling in the paper. However, she fears that these documents can be used for her escorting, since in the very beginning of the criminal proceedings, she has been already deceived with filling in of documents," said Vera Savchenko, a sister of the prisoner, on air of the Ukrainian "1+1" TV Channel as quoted by the "Interfax" on April 27.

"I think that the procedure has actually been launched. However, we should understand that it is not a fast procedure and can take up to two months," the RIA "Novosti" quotes Mark Feighin, Nadezhda Savchenko's advocate, as stating.

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