Advocates expect Savchenko's transfer to Ukraine in six months

The Ukrainian aviator Nadezhda Savchenko can be returned to Ukraine within six months, said her advocates. Russian authorities will take the right decision by returning Savchenko, a political prisoner, to Ukraine, said Alexander Cherkasov, the chairman of the board of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) received the documents on transfer of Nadezhda Savchenko to Ukraine. The documents were received from the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as the FSIN), said Alexander Konovalov, the Russian Minister of Justice.

The advocate Nikolai Polozov has explained that the MoD of Ukraine had handed over to its Russian counterpart a package of documents as needed for the return of Savchenko according to the 1993 Convention on Extradition of Convicts.

In his turn, Mark Feigin, another Savchenko's advocate, has stressed that she "may return to Ukraine in two ways only": "Either through pardoning – I can hardly believe that President Putin will pardon Savchenko due to various political reasons; or – and this is the only option – through the Convention on Extradition of Convicts, the mechanism of which has been launched now," the "Kommersant" quotes Mr Feigin as saying.

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