Savchenko indictment sent to court

MOSCOW – An indictment against jailed Ukrainian pilot and Parliament member Nadiya Savchenko has been sent to the Donetsk Town Court in Russia’s Rostov region, the Russian Procurator General’s Office reported on July 13. The indictment is due to pave the way for a trial. Ms. Savchenko is accused of direct participation in the killing of two Russian reporters who died last year while covering the conflict in Ukraine. She is also charged with attempted murder and illegally entering Russian territory. Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee, said that Ms. Savchenko is facing 25 years in prison. Mr. Markin said the crime carries a punishment as severe as life in prison, but that women are not given life sentences according to the Russian Criminal Code. Ms. Savchenko says she was illegally brought into Russia after being abducted by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Interfax and TASS)