You're reading: Court refuses to dismiss gas case against Tymoshenko

Kyiv's Pechersky District Court on Thursday rejected former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko's request for dismissing the "gas case" in the absence of the element of the crime in it, and to free her from custody.

This brought the number of rejected requests for Tymoshenko’s release from custody to 18, an Interfax correspondent reported.

Tymoshenko stands accused of abusing her authority while negotiating the gas contracts with Russia in 2009, which allegedly caused the state coffers to lose offer UAH 1.5 billion.

The gas hearings began on June 24. On August 5 Tymoshenko was arrested on charges of "obstructing the establishment of the truth," as the state prosecutors termed it.

Supporters and opponents of the ex-prime minister put up tented camps outside the court building on August 5.