You're reading: Police officers force lawmakers Shkil and Odarchenko out of Pechersky District Court

Officers of the Gryphon special unit have forced MP Andriy Shkil and MP Yuriy Odarchenko (both of the BYT-Batkivschyna faction) out of the courtroom of Kyiv Pechersky District Court.

Judge Rodion Kireyev, who is presiding over the trial of Ukraine’s former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, ruled to expel Shkil from the courtroom because he took a photo of former PACE rapporteur on Ukraine Hanne Severinsen, who came to the court as an observer.

A correspondent of Interfax-Ukraine reported that after Severinsen came into the courtroom and took a seat in the front row, Shkil took a photo of her, and received a reprimand from Judge Kireyev. After this, a squabble started between the MPs present in the hall and the judge. Kireyev ruled to expel the lawmakers from the hall and asked the police to enforce his ruling.

About two dozen police officers escorted the MPs from the courtroom.