Court to announce ruling on Tymoshenko's suit today at 2 p.m. (updated)

Judges at the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv have entered a jury room to take a decision on a lawsuit lodged by Batkivschyna Party leader and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko against the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office for opening a criminal investigation related to the Ukrainian-Russian gas contracts against the former premier. An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported that the court at a sitting on Monday considered the prosecutor's explanations and the arguments of the sides. In particular, the prosecutor claimed that there were enough reasons and causes to open the case, as well as there was no resolution by the Cabinet of Minister on a gas contract.

At the same time, the prosecutor said that he "really saw no intent [in Tymoshenko's actions", but "the law does not require direct intent in relation to consequences."

The prosecutor asked the court to reject the suit and keep the ruling on opening the criminal case in effect.


Tymoshenko's defense lawyer Serhiy Vlasenko, in turn, noted that if the prosecutor had other reasons, then another criminal case should have been opened, and with regard to this ruling, then according to Vlasenko, it was not written "in line with the regulations of the legislation." The prosecutor replied: "We wrote it in the way the SBU [the Security Service of Ukraine] submitted it to us."

The debates between Vlasenko and the prosecutor were accompanied by loud shouts and noise from Tymoshenko supporters in the courtroom.

In addition, Tymoshenko submitted an application on the committing of a crime by the prosecutor who opened the criminal case against her.

"I ask for a separate ruling on the opening of a criminal case against the prosecutor," she said.

After this, the judge announced that she would enter the jury room to take a decision on this suit, and the secretary noted that the court would announce its ruling today at 2 p.m..