Leaders of opposition factions insist on closing criminal proceedings against a defense counsel of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Serhiy Vlasenko, accused of beating his ex-wife Natalia Okunska.
“We, leaders of three opposition factions, demand from authorities to
urgently stop a new wave of political repressions: to close the groundless
frame-up against Vlasenko and not to give New Year performances in court. We ask
our partners in Europe and in the world to pay attention to the outrageous
violation of rights of opposition,” reads a statement posted on the Batkivschyna
Party’s Web site signed by Batkivschyna faction leader Arseniy Yatseniuk,
Svoboda faction leader Oleh Tiahnybok and UDAR faction leader Vitaliy
Klitschko.
They said that this new frame-up has nothing in common with the principles of
democracy, lawfulness and supremacy of law.
The faction leaders insist that the case was fabricated since the beginning
and now new infringements at the stage of court hearing appear now: “first in
the history of political processes in Ukraine the case is heard by the illegal
jury: instead of one judge as the law requires, three judges were assigned and
the presidential administration sets the tasks for them.”
They said that the goal of the proceedings is again restrict Tymoshenko in
her right to protect and participate in the political life.
