Kyiv suspects seven Russian citizens, including judges, investigators, diplomat, in Savchenko case
KYIV. July 29 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office is asking the Russian Prosecutor's Office for legal assistance on informing seven Russian citizens of suspicion "in committing a crime regarding Ukrainian citizen Nadia Savchenko."
Such an appeal is sent in accordance with international agreements in connection with the criminal case being probed in Ukraine, Deputy Prosecutor General Yury Stolyarchuk said at a briefing in Kyiv. "There are seven of them, these are Russian citizens," he said without specifying their surnames.
"These are firstly employees of the Russian Investigative Committee subdivision, who, in our view, illegally detained and held her in detention. These are Russian court employees [three of them], who selected arrest as a restriction measure regarding Savchenko every time, in turn and without grounds - in other words illegally," Stolyarchuk said. A high-level official of the Russian Foreign Ministry is also among the suspects, he said.
According to Stolyarchuk, the Russian diplomat is suspected of "assisting intentionally the fact that Savchenko was not released from detention in due time."
Besides the individuals listed the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office also suspects another Russian citizen, who contributed to moving Savchenko illegally from Ukraine across the border, the deputy prosecutor general said.
Since July 2014 Savchenko has been in Russia under arrest on accusation of assisting the murder of Russian reporters Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin in the Luhansk region.
Savchenko does not admit her guilt.
The first court hearing on Savchenko's case will be held behind closed doors in Donetsk in the Rostov region on July 30.
