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Mother Of Jailed Ukrainian Pilot In Global Appeal


Ukrainian military pilot Nadia Savchenko at a court hearing in Moscow.
Ukrainian military pilot Nadia Savchenko at a court hearing in Moscow.

The mother of a Ukrainian pilot jailed in Russia says she's launching a global campaign to free her daughter.

Nadia Savchenko has been in Russian custody since June 2014 and is awaiting trial for aiding in the killing of two Russian journalists during the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

She denies the charges and has spent 83 days on a hunger strike to protest her detention.

Her mother, Maria Savchenko, told AP on April 20 that her daughter is a political prisoner.

Maria Savchenko said Russian prosecutors have provided "no evidence" that her daughter provided guidance for a mortar attack that killed two Russian state TV journalists at a checkpoint in eastern Ukraine, as Moscow claims.

Savchenko launched her global campaign in Germany, where she pleaded for help from lawmakers.

New York is her second stop and she will meet on April 21 with UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic.

Based on reporting by AP

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