You're reading: ‘Tymoshenko articles’ won’t be decriminalized, experts say

The articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine under which ex-premier of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to imprisonment will not be decriminalized, experts say. 

“No, [amendments to the Criminal Code to decriminalize the articles under which Tymoshenko was convicted…] won’t be introduced…In fact, the exploiters of the ‘Yulia Tymoshenko’ brand are most interested in the exploitation of this brand from the jail of Kachanivska penal colony or Kharkiv railway hospital,” an expert from Hardaryka corporation Kostiantyn Matviyenko said at a press conference on Wednesday, Jan.17.

“There’s a complicated situation with Tymoshenko…but she has every opportunity to deal with politics from jail… There have been enough of these rallies in the ward – just do normal politics,” he added.

Director of the Situations Modeling Agency Vitaliy Bala, in turn, stressed that the results of the voting for the bill on decriminalization of the corresponding articles of the Criminal Code were evident.

“The authorities have to take this step,” the expert said, as “particularly before the Ukraine-EU Summit the authorities must demonstrate a state approach to resolving the Tymoshenko issue.”

As reported, at the sitting on January 11 the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, voted down a bill on decriminalizing of Articles 364 and 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – under which former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to imprisonment. Only 161 MPs supported the bill, which was submitted for voting by Batkivschyna representative Viktor Shvets on December 14.