The Latvian foreign minister wrote in his Twitter account that the international community must continue to fight for her release.
I strongly condemn unlawful sentencing of Nadiya #Savchenko by Russia, international community must to fight for her release #FreeSachenko
— Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) March 22, 2016
The Latvian president expressed a similar opinion, saying he condemned the Russian court’s verdict on Savchenko. Russia has to comply with the international agreements, including the Minsk agreement, and to release Savchenko, Vejonis said.
Strongly condemn sentencing of Nadia Savchenko.RUS has to comply with its international obligations,incl. Minsk agreements,and freeSavchenko
— Raimonds Vējonis (@Vejonis) March 22, 2016
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has issued a statement strongly condemning the sentencing of Savchenko as part of illegitimate court proceedings based on unsubstantiated charges of the murder of two Russian journalists.
The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called upon Russia to release Savchenko without further delay thereby abiding by its international commitments including the commitments related to the set of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis expressed similar sentiments.
I add my voice to the strong condemnation of the sentencing of Savchenko, should be released immediately. #FreeSavchenko
— Maris Kucinskis (@MarisKucinskis) March 22, 2016
The AFP news agency reportsed that a Russian court on Tuesday sentenced Ukrainian military pilot Nadiya Savchenko to 22 years behind bars after she was found guilty of involvement in the killing of two journalists in eastern Ukraine.
The court found Savchenko "guilty on all counts" and sentenced her to 22 years in prison and a 30,000-ruble ($440) fine at the end of a trial that has been slammed by the West and Kiev as a political farce.
The 34-year-old army helicopter aviator reacted by shouting in Ukrainian and singing the Ukrainian national anthem.
Savchenko's lawyers have said she would not appeal the verdict given her distrust of the Russian legal system.
But lawyer Mark Feigin said her defense team has launched a number of "international procedures" for her release through UN apparatus.
The EU and Washington have repeatedly urged Moscow to release Savchenko, while Kiev meanwhile has been pushing for a prisoner swap with Russia.
Savchenko was convicted on charges of abetting the deaths of Russian journalists Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin, who were killed in shelling in June 2014, two months after the start of the pro-Russian separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine.
She was also found guilty of illegally crossing the Ukrainian border into Russia.
Savchenko, who was serving in a volunteer pro-Kiev battalion at the time, has maintained that she was abducted by pro-Russian rebels before the journalists were killed and then smuggled into Russia.
