President's wife Maryna Poroshenko addressed U.S. President's wife Michelle Obama with a call for joining the international campaign on liberation of Ukrainians illegally imprisoned in Russia.
In the letter to the First Lady of the United States, Maryna Poroshenko noted: "Dear Michelle, I am hopefully expect that you will not only join the international campaign on liberation of Nadiya Savchenko, but also provide a new impetus to the liberation of other Ukrainian citizens, including Oleg Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Hennadiy Afanasyev, Akhtem Chyigoz and other hostages of Russian punitive machine”.
Maryna Poroshenko emphasized that 34-year-old Nadiya Savchenko stood side-by-side with American servicemen and risked her own life for the restoration of democracy and order in Iraq. Just like hundreds of American women, she devoted her life to the protection of the Homeland. However, defending independence and freedom of the Ukrainian state in June 2014, she was abducted from the Ukrainian territory and imprisoned in Russia. Despite proved evidence of false accusations, Russian punitive machine plans to sentence her to a 23-year imprisonment on March 21.
The President’s wife reminded that the name of Nadiya Savchenko was in the list of 20 women – political prisoners and prisoners of conscience – announced in the framework of the Free the 20 Campaign initiated by the U.S. Government in September 2015 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of adoption of the Beijing Declaration (a roadmap designed to change the fate of women around the world).
Maryna Poroshenko emphasized that the fate of Nadiya Savchenko, a symbol of struggle of the Ukrainian people against the aggression of Russia, depends on the unity of efforts, solidarity of the international community and pressure on the Russian government.