H. Res. 50 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

September 22, 2015. 

Whereas the trial of Nadiya Savchenko is scheduled to begin 

in Russia on September 22, 2015; 

Whereas Nadiya Savchenko is the first-ever female fighter 

pilot in Ukraine’s Armed Forces and is an Iraqi war veteran; 

Whereas in the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine, 

Savchenko volunteered her services to the Ukrainian 

Aidar battalion; 

Whereas Savchenko was elected in absentia from the 

Batkivshchyna Party to Ukraine’s Parliament in October 

2014, and appointed to the Parliamentary Assembly of 

the Council of Europe (PACE) as a representative from 

Ukraine; 

Whereas as a member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 

Savchenko was conducting operations in eastern Ukraine 

against pro-Russian forces in the summer of 2014 when 

she was captured and taken into captivity; 

Whereas Savchenko was captured and illegally transferred to 

the Russian Federation to stand trial on unsubstantiated 

charges of murder, attempted murder, and illegally entering Russian territory among other allegations; 
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Whereas while being kept in Russian custody since July 

2014, Savchenko’s hearing and trial dates have been repeatedly delayed; 

Whereas in protest of her illegal detention, Savchenko conducted a hunger strike lasting over 80 days; 

Whereas her courage and determination have inspired people 

across the globe; 

Whereas the Minsk Protocol of September 2014, signed by 

Ukraine and the Russian Federation, calls for the ‘‘immediate release of all hostages and illegally held persons’’; 

Whereas appeals have been made to the United Nations 

Human Rights Council and the International Red Cross 

to secure Savchenko’s release; 

Whereas the international community including representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of 

Europe (PACE) and of the United States have urged her 

immediate release; 

Whereas on January 26, 2015, the opening day of the Parliamentary Assembly, a broad range of individuals and 

organizations in the United States and Europe dedicated 

to promoting human rights embarked on a public campaign to bring attention to Savchenko’s plight and demanded her immediate release; 

Whereas on February 12, 2015, the United States Senate 

passed S. Res. 52 by unanimous consent, a Resolution 

calling for Savchenko’s release; 

Whereas on April 22, 2015, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine 

voted unanimously to pass a resolution ‘‘On the imposing 

of sanctions on persons responsible for the illegal imprisonment in the Russian Federation of Nadiya Savchenko’’, 
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which included the names of 35 individuals believed to be 

responsible for Nadiya Savchenko’s illegal imprisonment; 

and 

Whereas the Government of the United States and its people 

express concern about the continued illegal imprisonment 

of Nadiya Savchenko: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) condemns the Government of the Russian Federation for its illegal imprisonment of Nadiya Savchenko; 

(2) calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to immediately release Nadiya Savchenko; 

(3) calls on the United States, its European allies, 

and the international community to aggressively support 

efforts to release Nadiya Savchenko and other illegally 

detained persons; 

(4) reiterates that it is the policy of the United 

States not to recognize the de jure or de facto sovereignty of the Russian Federation over any part of 

Ukraine, its airspace, or its territorial waters; 

(5) calls upon the United States to impose targeted 

sanctions against persons responsible for the kidnapping, 

arrest, and imprisonment of Nadiya Savchenko and 

other illegally detained persons; and 
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(6) expresses solidarity with the Ukrainian people. 

Attest: 

Clerk.