Savchenko defiant in Moscow court

MOSCOW – A Moscow court on February 10 extended the pretrial detention period for Ukrainian military pilot Nadia Savchenko until May 13. Lt. Savchenko, who was on the 60th day of a hunger strike to protest her detention, has been charged by Russian officials of involvement in a mortar attack that killed two Russian journalists who were killed while covering the conflict between the rebels and government forces. Motions by Lt. Savchenko’s lawyers to replace the judge, Artur Karpov, and to have their client released on bail until the trial were rejected by the court. Asked by Judge Karpov about her health, Lt. Savchenko said, “You’ll wait in vain” – a retort by which she meant that the Russian authorities are hoping for her death but that she will not die soon. Lt. Savchenko, 32, told the Moscow court, “I will continue the hunger strike, which has lasted for more than 60 days, and will continue it until I’m taken back to Ukraine or until I die.” Looking pale and gaunt and wearing a T-shirt with a Ukrainian trident design, Lt. Savchenko spoke from behind the bars of a courtroom cage. She cried out, “Glory to Ukraine!” as she was led to the court by armed guards with a large dog. A lawyer for Lt. Savchenko, Ilya Novikov, asked the court to release her, saying he fears for her life if she remains in detention. “She is in no condition to live this way for three more months,” Mr. Novikov said. He said Lt. Savchenko had no intention of ending her hunger strike while behind bars, saying she was motivated by “the illegal actions of the investigators.” He said she was hooked up to an intravenous drip daily, which is keeping her health from deteriorating faster. “The inside of her elbows are swollen from the IV needle,” he noted. (RFE/RL Russian Service)