The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) is seriously concerned about the fate of Nadiya Savchenko, a Ukrainian Air Force pilot believed to have been abducted in July by separatists fighting against Ukrainian forces in the eastern regions of the country and subsequently transferred to the Russian authorities. She is currently in a detention facility in Voronezh, Russia, accused of complicity in the murder of two Russian journalists. Russian authorities claim that Nadiya Savchenko has not been abducted but was "found" after crossing the Russian border, claiming refugee status. However, factual evidence and the allegations of Savchenko after her arrest support the version of abduction.

BHC believes that she was captured by armed men suspected to be under the control of the Russian government. This raises the question of the international responsibility of the latter, even though the incident happened in the territory of a foreign country. Furthermore, there is no doubt that the arrest and transfer to Russia happened without the consent of Ukrainian authorities. Such an abduction constitutes a gross violation of the right to liberty and security. On July 15, 2014, the European Court of Human Rights opened a case against Russia, giving it high priority.

The abduction of Nadiya Savchenko could lead to a number of other violations of her human rights and has already compromised the ability of Russia to ensure a fair trial. BHC appeals to human rights organizations in Russia and the international human rights community to ensure monitoring of the upcoming trial. We also appeal to the Russian government to investigate the circumstances surrounding her abduction, and, if it finds illegalities, to ensure her immediate release.