President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Pedro Agramunt has called on Russia to free the illegally convicted Ukrainian pilot, MP and member of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE Nadia Savchenko and other Ukrainian hostages held in that country.
”At the beginning of the April 2016 part-session, I have to reiterate once again my serious concerns about the situation of our member, Nadia Savchenko, who remains in detention in the Russian Federation. I deplore her continued detention and call once again for her release, including in line with the provisions of the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe, and Russia`s commitments under the Minsk agreements,” Agramunt said on Monday.
”This is especially important in the light of reports about her continuing hunger strike and her deteriorating health condition. I urge the Russian authorities to take the necessary steps in order to address – urgently – this humanitarian issue, including in the context of a possible prisoner exchange with the Ukrainian authorities,” he stressed.
”As I have already underlined on previous occasions, addressing the situation of our Assembly colleague is a top priority for me. The defense of the rights of parliamentarians – their liberty, their freedom of movement and their freedom of speech – is one of the focuses of my mandate,” the PACE President concluded.
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