You're reading: PACE disappointed by verdict on Tymoshenko appeal, urges Yanukovych to intervene

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has expressed its deep disappointment with the ruling of the Higher Specialized Court to throw out the appeal of former Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko against her conviction in the gas case.

The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Jean-Claude Mignon, and the co-rapporteurs for Ukraine, Mailis Reps (Estonia, ALDE) and Marietta de Pourbaix-Lundin (Sweden, EPP/CD) said this in a statement, the text of which is available to Interfax-Ukraine.

“The assembly has stated on several occasions that her conviction in the gas case amounts to the criminalization of normal political decision-making. Given the many questions that have been raised with regard to the court proceedings that led to her conviction, we – as well as many other friends of Ukraine – had expected that the court of cassation would accept her appeal,” they said.

The PACE president and co-rapporteurs emphasized that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych made it clear to the co-rapporteurs that he would be ready to intervene in this case if Tymoshenko’s appeal was rejected by the court of cassation.

“We therefore call upon him to keep his word without delay in order to resolve the issue of the imprisoned former government members. These cases should not be allowed to overshadow the upcoming elections,” they stressed.

Following an invitation by the Ukrainian president, the co-rapporteurs intend to visit Ukraine before the next PACE session in order to discuss possible political ways to resolve this issue in line with the Council of Europe standards.

As reported, the Higher Specialized Court of Ukraine for Civil and Criminal Cases refused on Wednesday to satisfy an appeal by Tymoshenko against her seven-year imprisonment sentence in the case on the abuse of power during the talks on the gas supply contracts with Russia in 2009.