Ukraine MFA on Savchenko case

KYIV – The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on March 3 that according to information from Nadiya Savchenko’s lawyer, she is suffering from serious health problems, specifically with her gallbladder and stomach. Lt. Savchenko, then on the 81st day of her hunger strike, continues to drink only water and tea, and despite appeals by the Ukrainian consul, her lawyers and human rights activists, she refuses to stop her hunger strike. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson stated, “In these conditions, the absence of any reaction from the Russian authorities to this situation is criminal. All responsibility for the life of Nadiya, we repeat, completely and solely lies with Russia, which cynically abducted Nadiya Savchenko on Ukrainian territory, and for over eight months, arbitrarily, without providing any evidence of a crime, is holding Nadiya hostage.” Lt. Savchenko, a Ukrainian air force pilot, who was serving in eastern Ukraine, was abducted by Kremlin-backed terrorists in mid-June and taken to Russia, where she has been illegally detained and imprisoned since that time. She was elected a national deputy to Ukraine’s Parliament in October. (Ukrainian Canadian Congress)