You're reading: Ukrainian opposition vows to punish Tymoshenko’s persecutors

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will rule that the gas case verdict against Ukraine's ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and the political repressions against her are illegal, the Batkivschyna United Opposition said.

Barriers to such an application with the ECHR have been removed, the opposition said in a statement posted on the Batkivschyna Party’s Web site.

The Higher Specialized Court of Ukraine deliberately protracted the appeal hearing at the behest of President Viktor Yanukovych, the party said. “This was done with the only aim: to rule out fast submission and hearing of this case at the ECHR, leave the opposition leader in prison and to prevent her from standing for parliament,” the statement said.

“We are certain that after a change of regime in Ukraine and its return to the democratic European track the relevant ECHR decision will be grounds for the inevitable prosecution of all those involved in the falsification of the gas case and all those who ordered and perpetrated political repressions in Ukraine,” the opposition said.

The Ukrainian Higher Specialized Court for Civil and Criminal Cases has upheld the seven-year prison term for Tymoshenko.

On October 11, 2011, Pechersky District Court in Kyiv sentenced Tymoshenko to seven years in prison for overstepping her authority when signing 2009 gas contracts with Russia.