Ukrainian pilot's defense team to appeal court ruling on extending her arrest
MOSCOW. Feb 10 (Interfax) - Moscow's Basmanny District Court, which ruled on Tuesday to extend the pretrial custody term of Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko charged in Russia with complicity in killing Russian journalists in Ukraine until May 13, did not take into consideration a single argument presented by her defense team, lawyer Nikolai Polozov said.
"We are not contented with the court's ruling today and will appeal it with the Moscow City Court. In addition, the Basmanny Court will hear several appeals we have filed against the investigation's actions in relation to Nadiya Savchenko," Polozov said.
Another member of Savchenko's defense team, Mark Feigin, said the defense's arguments "are not mentioned in the court ruling in any way."
"The analysis section in the court's ruling doesn't contain even an attempt to somehow mention the defense's position regarding Savchenko's status as PACE delegate. Her immunity entitles her to take part in PACE sessions, and therefore she can leave Russia for that purpose," he said.
Lawyer Ilya Novikov said, "The judge attached the documents presented by the defense [to the case], read them very carefully, and didn't say anything about them in the ruling."
The court failed to take heed of the defense's warning that Savchenko, who had gone on a hunger strike back in December, "may not live to May 13."
"It is quite likely that she won't live to the expiration of her arrest term. The dripper won't keep her alive for another three months. One and a half or two months, not longer," Novikov said.