Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko who is standing trial in Russia's Rostov region on the counts of being involved in the killing of Russian journalists can count on being extradited to Ukraine after her sentence takes effect if she or her representatives file a relevant request, a source in the justice community told Interfax on Wednesday.

"Savchenko's transfer to the Ukrainian side may be suggested after the court passes its judgment and it takes effect. This [possibility] is provided by the convention on the transfer of sentenced persons for serving time," the source said.

He noted that the convention between CIS member states, among them Russia and Ukraine, was signed in Moscow on March 6, 1998.

"According to this document, a request for transferring a sentenced person can be filed by that person, his or her close relatives, a lawful representative, a lawyer, a state which passed the sentence (Russia) and a state where time may be served (Ukraine)," the source said.

The transfer is possible after the sentence takes effect, the request for transfer is filed, the sentenced person gives a written consent to the transfer, and both countries grant the request.

"The convention also requires that a crime of which a person is convicted is punished by prison time in both countries and the outstanding term is at least six months at the time the request for transfer is filed," the source said.

At the same time, a sentenced person cannot be transferred in case the punishment cannot be enforced on the territory of the host country due to the expiry of the period of limitations or on other grounds envisaged by the law of that country or if the procedure may damage the interests of any negotiating party.

"The convention does not allow transferring a sentenced person before he or she compensates for the damage done by the crime," the source said.

Interfax has yet to obtain comments on this scenario from Russian and Ukrainian authorities and family and representatives of Savchenko.