The Pechersky District Court of Kyiv has rejected a petition filed by former Premier Yulia Tymoshenko and her defense team on the withdrawal of presiding judge Rodion Kireyev.
The judge announced the decision after a break in the court session. Tymoshenko and her lawyer were absent when the announcement was made.
The judge explained his decision by the fact that the Criminal Procedure Code stipulates that witnesses may not communicate with each other, and that broadcasting from the courtroom could interfere with this stipulation.
The judge therefore rejected the grounds for his withdrawal from the court proceedings.
