Tymoshenko cassation appeal hearing postponed

The High Specialized Court on Civil and Criminal Cases was due to begin its examination of the former Prime Minister and opposition leader’s cassation appeal against her conviction over the 2009 gas agreement with Russia on Tuesday. 

Judge Stanislav Mishchenko allowed an application from the State Prosecutors in connection with Ms Tymoshenko’s absence.  The Prosecutor’s application quoted the Constitutional Court judgement from 12 April this year stating that a person has the right to be present at all level court hearings and mentioning that she was presently in hospital.

The new hearing is scheduled for 27 June.  Reuters reports that the “delay means the hearings will resume during the Euro 2012 soccer tournament and less than a week before the July 1 final in Kyiv.”

During the day Ukrainska Pravda quoted representatives of Ms Tymoshenko’s defence as saying that they would apply to the European Court of Human Rights without awaiting the cassation appeal hearing.  The Court normally demands that all possible remedies at national level should have been exhausted, however this new delay renders a judgement from the Court unlikely before the October parliamentary elections which at present Ms Tymoshenko will be prevented from running in.