Brussels, 08/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 7 March, the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini announced that the EU has once again called for the immediate release of Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko.
In a press release, Mogherini's spokesperson said that reports that Savchenko has reportedly once again started a hunger strike were “extremely worrying”. “Russia bears responsibility for the health, well-being and observance of the human rights of all persons it detains”, the spokesperson once again stated. Furthermore, Mogherini's spokesperson said that Savchenko's release would be in keeping with the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements and with the commitments within these agreements to release all hostages and illegally detained persons connected with the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Earlier on 7 March, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko had called on the EU and the USA to increase their pressure on Russia. Over 400 people of around 20 different nationalities also signed an open letter to the European leaders, asking them to “take urgent measures for the immediate and unconditional release” of Savchenko. Stating that thus far none of the efforts of the international community had been fruitful, the petitioners said that “our ability to save Savchenko's life will test the effectiveness of international diplomacy and our commitment to European values”. Among those who signed the letter are leader of the European Parliament's ALDE Group Guy Verhofstadt, former European Parliament president Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland), co-leader of the EU-Ukraine parliamentary association committee Andrej Plenkovic (EPP, Croatia), Pavel Telicka (ALDE, Czech Republic) and Michal Boni (EPP, Poland). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)
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