Nadiya Savchenko Sentenced to 22 Years in Russian Prison
On April 6, Nadiya Savchenko, the Ukrainian pilot captured and arrested by pro-Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine, was sentenced to 22 years in a Russian prison, heightening political tensions between Kiev and Moscow. Russia has accused Savchenko of killing two Russian journalists,Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin, with artillery fire aimed at pro-Russian forces in Ukraine in 2014.
Her trial ignited a media firestorm in March. As reported by the BBC, Savchenko has become a symbol of resistance in Ukraine as a beacon of defiance and hope during the days since her detainment. The trial, deemed “infamous” by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, was seen as a farce or show trial by Western analysts and leaders, the New York Times reports. Nadiya herself had been particularly vocal about the illegitimate nature of the trial, claiming it to be an example of Russian showmanship.
Nadiya gave a powerful closing statement during her trial.
"I admit no guilt and I recognize neither the court nor the verdict. If I am found guilty, I will not appeal. I want the entire democratic world to understand that Russia is a Third World country with a totalitarian regime and a petty tyrant for a dictator and it spits on international law and human rights," she said.
The support for Savchenko in Ukraine has been overwhelming. In October 2014, just months after her detainment, she was elected to the Ukrainian Parliament in absentia, Interfax reports. At her trial, Ukrainian protesters unfurled a national flag in response to her 22-year sentence. She was also awarded the highest Ukrainian national honor.
The debate wages on about where and when Nadiya was captured. Russians claim she snuck into Russia and was captured there, but her defense says that she was captured in Ukraine an hour before the attack. As such, she is either a common criminal as the Russians argue, or she was abducted by a foreign power and taken as a prisoner of war.
In its defense, Russia points to the United States and its "practice of arresting Russian nationals in third countries on charges brought in the United States." Russia has entertained discussion about a prisoner trade, but only if the US ceases said practice, the Moscow Times reports. Pravda claims that her detention is lawful, citing Guantanamo Bay as evidence of Western countries like the United States behaving similarly.
Interestingly, Nadiya’s full name, Nadejda, means "hope," symbolic of the Ukrainian people's hope for peace and freedom from aggression with Russia. The current situation in Eastern Ukraine remains unsolved, with pro-Russian aggressors still fighting; yet, Savchenko's sentencing may draw more international attention to the current crisis and generate productive dialogue about the issue. As for now, Nadiya has declared another hunger strike, stating that the Russians will return her to Ukraine "either dead or alive."