Savchenko’s letter read on Lithuania’s initiative at a high-level discussion in New York
“Today, the Government of Russia is the predator that loots its ancestral burial grounds. Russia uses its ‘inherited’ rights to block an investigation of its own crimes that are no better than the ones for which Nazi leaders were convicted,” reads an open letter sent by Nadia Savchenko, the Ukrainian military pilot held in Russia, to heads of state, parliamentarians and representatives of non-governmental organizations.
Vira Savchenko, a sister of Nadia Savchenko, read out loud the letter at a high-level discussion “Future of Eastern Europe: Empowerment of Women” in New York, which was held on the initiative of the President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė.
“Russian propaganda distorts the truth and encourages confrontation. Only few manage to preserve strength and common sense to resist pressure and to stay a human being.” In a meeting with Savchenko, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius assured that Lithuania and the whole international community would not forget Nadia or other illegally detained Ukrainian citizens in the Russian Federation.
“We shall demand the implementation of the Minsk accords. We shall aim to ensure all those responsible for human rights violations are brought to justice. Permanent members of the Security Council should not abuse their veto power. Lithuania supports France’s initiative aiming to restrain veto rights in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,” said Linkevičius.
Russia-supported separatists captured Savchenko on 17 June 2014 in a battle near Luhansk and then illegally handed her over to Russian officials.
The President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė, the President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili, the President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, the former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova Natalia Gherman, parlamentarians, famous public figures and representatives of non-governmental organizations took part in the discussion that was held on Lithuania’s initiative in New York.
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