Official: Tymoshenko refuses from videoconference with U.S. court

The convicted former prime minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko, has officially refused to participate in a video conference in the case of the U.S. consulting firm U.S. Universal Trading and Investment Company (UTICo) against her, the press service of the State Penitentiary Service reported on Friday.

Tymoshenko made an official statement explaining her decision by the relevant recommendations of Ukrainian and German doctors, who advised her against participating in any events in order to avoid stress, the press service said.

The report also says that the former prime minister had notified the Justice Ministry about her decision. In the prison service also noted that Kachanivska prison colony No. 54 and Central Clinical Hospital No. 5, where Tymoshenko is currently undergoing treatment, have the necessary equipment for video conferencing.

The ex-premier's defense lawyer, Serhiy Vlasenko, said earlier that Tymoshenko would not talk to lawyers of the U.S. consulting firm U.S. Universal Trading and Investment Company (UTICo) at a video conference, at least until she had an opportunity to consult with her U.S. lawyers.

Earlier, the Kommersant-Ukraine newspaper reported that it had copies of documents that were sent from the Main Justice Department in Kharkiv region to Head of Kominternivsky District Court of Kharkiv Vasyl Butsky for further passing to ex-premier Tymoshenko. The documents deal with the Universal Trading & Investment Co., Inc. against Yulia Tymoshenko case, which is being considered by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The package of documents was sent to the Justice Ministry by the law firm of Peter Alan Joseph who represents Universal Trading & Investment Co., Inc. The package of documents includes questionnaire due to be filled in by the agency that will pass the documents to Tymoshenko.

UTICo demands that Tymoshenko return debts of the United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU) Corporation in amount of $18.3 million.