Savchenko complains to Russian ombudsperson of Ukrainian language infringement in court
Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko has complained in the Russian Donetsk city court on Monday about systematic infringement of the Ukrainian language during the hearing of her court case.
Savchenko addressed her complaint to the Russian Human Rights Ombudsman. The court granted it.
"Infringement of Ukrainian in Russia takes place in the court. My lawyers have filed four motions that were rejected because they were written in Ukrainian, despite the presence of an interpreter in the court. Motions were dismissed and Ukrainian citizens were recommended to come to court with documents in Russian," Savchenko said.
She requested to add her complaint to the court case and this motion was granted by the court.
According to Russian investigators, Ukrainian Armed Forces officer Savchenko was at the base of the Aidar battalion near the village of Metallist in the Slovyanoserbsk district of Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine on June 17, where she was conducting secret surveillance and correcting artillery fire targeting a checkpoint of militants from the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), as well as civilians sheltering there, among them were three journalists of Russia's VGTRK broadcaster. Two Russian reporters – Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin – were killed in the attack. Savchenko denies all charges.
Savchenko has been held in Russian custody since July 2014.
Savchenko went on hunger strike during a hearing in the Donetsk City Court on December 17. She said she was going on hunger strike until the end of the trial of her case. Her lawyers believe the sentence could be handed down in February.