Ukrainian citizen Nadia Savchenko has prolonged her contract lawyer Mark Feygin and has asked him not to file any appeals or requests for pardon without her request.

"Nadia has prolonged the contract with me," Feygin said on Twitter, posting a photocopy of a statement handwritten by Savchenko.

The statement says: "After the sentence in my case is handed down, I am asking you to remain my defense lawyer and represent my defense in the Russian Federation. I prohibit you from filing appeals, requests for pardon, admitting guilt on my or your behalf, and taking other actions without my permission. If you do not heed my wishes, I will regard your activity as treacherous and will automatically refuse to use your services as a lawyer."

Savchenko also requests her defense attorneys to participate "as openly as possible in the legal, political and media realms."