Russia subjecting Ukrainian pilot to show trial, lawyer says

Former Ukrainian army pilot Nadezhda Savchenko listens to her lawyers Mark Feygin (L) and Ilya Novikov during a court hearing in the southern border town of Donetsk in Rostov region, Russia, March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Sergey Pivovarov EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A defence lawyer for Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko, on trial in Russia on charges of complicity in the killing of two Russian journalists, said on Thursday her case was trumped up and she was being subjected to a show trial.

The 34-year-old's prosecution and defiant stance have made her a national hero for many in Ukraine, where she is considered a political prisoner. The West, as well as rights groups, have repeatedly called on Moscow to free her.

Prosecutors allege that in June 2014, Savchenko, who had transferred from the air force to fight with Ukrainian ground forces, helped to direct the fire of Ukrainian artillery in the Luhansk region where a shell killed two Russian television reporters.

"From the very beginning, it was clear that if this case reaches the courtroom it will be a show trial," Savchenko's lawyer, Ilya Novikov said in his concluding remarks.

A verdict is expected soon.

"As for the charges, they are false," he said, in remarks broadcast live by Radio Free Europe from the courtroom, in the Rostov region in southern Russia.

Savchenko faces up to 25 years in jail if found guilty. She denies any wrongdoing.

(Reporting by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Christian Lowe)