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| Russian court poised to find Ukraine’s ‘Joan of Arc’ guilty for deaths of journalists | |
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| MOSCOW — A Russian court Monday found a Ukrainian helicopter pilot nicknamed Ukraine’s “Joan of Arc” guilty of involvement in the 2014 deaths of two Russian journalists, Russian news agencies reported, the conclusion to a case that has drawn international condemnation and revived old memories of Stalin show trials. | MOSCOW — A Russian court Monday found a Ukrainian helicopter pilot nicknamed Ukraine’s “Joan of Arc” guilty of involvement in the 2014 deaths of two Russian journalists, Russian news agencies reported, the conclusion to a case that has drawn international condemnation and revived old memories of Stalin show trials. |
| Russian state-run outlets rushed to report that Lt. Nadiya Savchenko, 34, had been found guilty, but there was initial confusion about whether the court had officially issued its ruling. The Russian state-run Rossiya 24 television channel later said that the judge had merely announced that he had heard enough evidence to convince him of her guilt before launching into an extended reading of the charges against her. Such pro forma readings can sometimes last hours. | Russian state-run outlets rushed to report that Lt. Nadiya Savchenko, 34, had been found guilty, but there was initial confusion about whether the court had officially issued its ruling. The Russian state-run Rossiya 24 television channel later said that the judge had merely announced that he had heard enough evidence to convince him of her guilt before launching into an extended reading of the charges against her. Such pro forma readings can sometimes last hours. |
| Savchenko had been accused of helping the Ukrainian army target the shelling that led to the June 2014 deaths of two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine at the height of fighting there. | Savchenko had been accused of helping the Ukrainian army target the shelling that led to the June 2014 deaths of two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine at the height of fighting there. |
| Little known before her capture, Savchenko has since become a national symbol of resistance in Ukraine and a target for Russians to focus their anger about the killing of eastern Ukrainian civilians. During Savchenko’s long imprisonment, she was elected a member of the Ukrainian parliament in absentia. She has always denounced the legitimacy of the Russian court and says she was abducted and spirited into Russia unwillingly. | Little known before her capture, Savchenko has since become a national symbol of resistance in Ukraine and a target for Russians to focus their anger about the killing of eastern Ukrainian civilians. During Savchenko’s long imprisonment, she was elected a member of the Ukrainian parliament in absentia. She has always denounced the legitimacy of the Russian court and says she was abducted and spirited into Russia unwillingly. |
| The court in Russia’s Rostov region, which borders eastern Ukraine, found Savchenko guilty of aiding and abetting two journalists who worked for Russian state-run television. | The court in Russia’s Rostov region, which borders eastern Ukraine, found Savchenko guilty of aiding and abetting two journalists who worked for Russian state-run television. |
| The court proceedings have been widely condemned by Western leaders, and last week Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced that he would try to get the European Union to issue sanctions against a roster of officials involved in her detention. Secretary of State John F. Kerry condemned the trial ahead of the verdict, and it is possible that she will be on the agenda when he visits Moscow this week to discuss the cease-fire in Syria. The front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton, has also announced her concern for Savchenko’s well-being. | The court proceedings have been widely condemned by Western leaders, and last week Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced that he would try to get the European Union to issue sanctions against a roster of officials involved in her detention. Secretary of State John F. Kerry condemned the trial ahead of the verdict, and it is possible that she will be on the agenda when he visits Moscow this week to discuss the cease-fire in Syria. The front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton, has also announced her concern for Savchenko’s well-being. |
| The court proceedings were the highest-profile in Russia since the 2012 trial of Pussy Riot, the feminist punk bank that was convicted of hooliganism for a brief performance in a Moscow church where they insulted Russian President Vladimir Putin. | The court proceedings were the highest-profile in Russia since the 2012 trial of Pussy Riot, the feminist punk bank that was convicted of hooliganism for a brief performance in a Moscow church where they insulted Russian President Vladimir Putin. |
| The Russian court plans to announce the sentence on Tuesday. Prosecutors have asked for a sentence of 23 years. | The Russian court plans to announce the sentence on Tuesday. Prosecutors have asked for a sentence of 23 years. |
| Savchenko's lawyers said Monday that she plans to resume a hunger strike and refuse liquids to protest of the verdict. | Savchenko's lawyers said Monday that she plans to resume a hunger strike and refuse liquids to protest of the verdict. |