Russia opens case against Vira Savchenko

Russia has opened criminal case over “the contempt of the Chechen court” against Vira Savchenko, sister of Nadiya Savchenko.

During the court hearing in the case of UNA-UNSO members Mykola Karpyuk and Stanislav Klykh in Grozny, the Chechen Republic, she said, “He’s a creep, not a judge,” lawyer of Nadiya Savchenko, Ilya Novikov, posted on Twitter.

According to the resolution, published by the lawyer, Savchenko “raised unauthorized comments from her seat“, not reacting at the judge’s warnings, and said “He’s a creep, not a judge” when she was being expelled from the courtroom.

Pursuant to Part 2, Article 297 of the Criminal Code (contempt of court, expressed in insulting the judge) Savchenko faces a fine of up to RUR 200,000, or arrest for up to six months.

Vira Savchenko attended the court hearing in the case of UNA-UNSO members Mykola Karpyuk and Stanislav Klykh, accused of participating in hostilities in Chechnya in 1994-1995. She is expected to speak as a witness in the case of her sister, Nadiya, at the court hearing in Rostov-on-Don.