“A person who was born free and not a slave in captivity cannot live in prison, especially if he or she is innocent. …I made the decision to go on a hunger strike on my own; no one influenced me to do this. I have given my word: ‘Until the day I return to Ukraine, or until the last day of my life in Russia!’ – and I will not back down.”
– 1st Lt. Nadiya Savchenko, in an open letter dated January 12 that was released by her lawyers. The Ukrainian pilot is being illegally held by Russia and has been on a hunger strike since December 13, 2014.