PRLog – Jan. 21, 2015 – NEW YORK — “Release Nadiya Savchenko”- Global Action Day- January 26, 2015
New York City Press Conference
Human rights activists and Ukrainians around the world call on Russia to immediately release Ukrainian Member of Parliament and pilot Nadiya Savchenko, now on her 35th day of a hunger strike.
The United Ad-hoc Committee of Ukrainian-American Organizations in the New York Metropolitan area urge the international community, including human rights organizations, to demand the immediate release by Russian authorities of former Ukrainian Air Force pilot, Member of Ukrainian Parliament and delegate to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Lieutenant Nadiya Savchenko, who remains imprisoned for political considerations.
We call on journalists, media outlets and press to bring about a global awareness of Nadiya Shevchenko and her detainment. On January 26, human rights activists around the
world- are standing together –in solidarity with Nadiya Savchenko. Press conferences, protest demonstrations, marches and twitter storms are being organized globally on that day.
It is imperative that we call attention to the plight of this courageous Ukrainian woman, who has been on a hunger strike for over 35 days. Her condition is fast deteriorating and the prognosis is dire.
The Ad-Hoc Committee, in cooperation with the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, has organized a Press Conference to call attention to the terrible plight of this brave woman. The Press Conference will be held at the Ukrainian Museum, 222 E 6th Street, NYC NY [between 2nd and 3rd Ave, on Monday Jan 26t at 2:00 PM. Representatives of the press are encouraged to attend.
Invited guests include Yuriy Sergeyev, Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Samantha Power, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Raimonde Murmokaite, Lithuania’s Ambassador to the UN, Boguslaw Winid, Poland’s Representative to the UN, as well as the General Consuls of the above-mentioned countries, and others. Many Congressmen have also been invited and have sent in their letters of support. For your information, the US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki has twice called for Ms. Savchenko’s immediate release.
The prosecution by Russian authorities of Nadiya Savchenko, kidnapped in Ukraine and forcibly transported across the border into the Russian Federation, is in clear violation of international law and clause 5 of the Minsk Protocol of 5 September 2014. Further,
the involuntary psychiatric evaluation, prolonged imprisonment, and undeserved solitary confinement of Ukrainian Nadiya Savchenko in Russia are all reprehensible acts that call for immediate and unequivocal action by the international community.
Particularly disturbing are the latest reports that Nadiya Savchenko, who has been in solitary confinement and on a hunger strike since 13 December, 2014, has now been transferred to unknown whereabouts..
Savchenko’s campaign has won support from the Obama administration, other foreign governments, human rights organizations, pro-democracy groups, and thousands of Internet petitioners worldwide.
The former military pilot was captured around June 17/18, 2014 in a part of the Luhansk region of Ukraine under pro-Russian militant control. Less than two weeks later, Ms. Savchenko was found to be in Russia where she was remanded in custody for two months by a Russian court.
As Ukraine’s first female military pilot, Savchenko was something of a celebrity in Ukraine. When Russia used its troops and mercenaries last year to invade Ukraine, Savchenko took a leave of absence from her air force duties to use her combat experience in one of the country’s new, volunteer, National Guard battalions.
Her last letter described the incredible strength and spirit of this woman:
“… I want to reassure you that I have never been weak and never will be! They cannot break my spirit, and I’m not going to get into battle with the prison guards! The main thing is to hold out in spirit, and my physical strength will recover. .. And if God has need for something else, then so be it … the loss of one fighter is a very great loss, but it is in no way a lost war! Ukraine will win!”
Well, a person who was born free and not a slave in captivity, cannot live in prison. Especially if he or she is innocent.
Through my protest—my hunger—I wish to achieve common sense from the Russian authorities and an awakening of conscience from the Russian Investigative Committee. There is irrefutable evidence of my lack of involvement and innocence of the crimes they accuse me of. What else do they need?
I have taken the decision to go on hunger strike myself and nobody pushed me into it. I have given my word that “Until the day I return to Ukraine, or until the last day of my life in Russia!” and I will not back down, otherwise what value would my words have?!
I will get through! Thank you for believing in me!” Nadiya Savchenko 12 January 2015
For more information contact: UNWLA, Roksolana Misilo, VP Public Relations: 973-376-4807
Organizations of the United Ad-hoc Committee :
Ukrainian National Women’s League of America
Ukrainian National Association Inc
Ukrainian Congress Committee of America
World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations
Razom
Ukraine Abroad
Advancing Human Rights
Plast
Ukrainian Federation of America
New Wave
Among others
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