French human rights ambassador to try to meet with Tymoshenko again

French Ambassador for Human Rights Francois Zimeray is planning to visit Kharkiv on April 19 to attend the first court hearing of a case on financial irregularities at the United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU) Corporation, which was earlier led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Channel 5 has reported, referring to the French Foreign Ministry. Zimeray will arrive in Ukraine on April 18. He plans to meet with the Ukrainian ombudsperson, attend the court hearing on the UESU case, and meet with Tymoshenko.

As reported, a preliminary hearing on the UESU case is scheduled for April 19. The hearing will be held in Kharkiv’s Court of Appeal.

As reported, Tymoshenko is accused of appropriating and attempting to appropriate property that did not belong to her (state funds) via abuse of office and official forgery, tax evasion via the UESU Corporation, which lead to the lack of funds received by the national budget, as well as income tax evasion, which lead to serious consequences. These actions were preceded by concealing from the government the UESU's foreign currency income of $160 million from exports of metal.

On January 18, 2012, the French ambassador for human rights failed to meet with the ex-premier in the Kachanivska colony in Kharkiv. According to him, he was told that he could not see Tymoshenko because at the time of his arrival she was being interrogated.

Zimeray was appointed ambassador for human rights in 2008. He is a former lawyer and a former MEP. He also was a member of the Paris Bar and the International Bar Association.