Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are facing pressure from the public and political circles in the investigation of charges brought against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukrainian First Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin has said.
“Public pressure exists, but there is no unambiguousness in this pressure. Some people are insisting that Tymoshenko was convicted for a crime she committed, and some people, of course, believe that Tymoshenko should not have been convicted and that she committed no crimes. At the same time, we are facing pressure from both sides. Some people demand justice, and some people believe that Tymoshenko is a saint. We are facing pressure from politicians, officials, including some leaders of countries, and we are facing pressure from European politicians, direct threats and direct pressure on the courts and investigators. This, of course, poses obstacles to our work,” he said on the Echo of Moscow radio station on Wednesday, when asked whether public pressure puts obstacles to the work of investigators.
When asked whether there was any pressure from Russia, Kuzmin said: “Russia adopted a very restrained position. I never heard statements from Russian officials that could be seen as interference in the work of investigators, as interference in Ukraine’s internal affairs.”
