Tymoshenko Appeal postponed until 12 July

The High Specialized Court on Civil and Criminal Cases in Kyiv on Tuesday postponed until 12 July the hearing into former Prime Minister and opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko’s appeal against her seven-year sentence over the 2009 gas accords with Russia.  The Kyiv court followed a first instance court in Kharkiv which similarly deferred the trial over new charges against Ms Tymoshenko.  Both courts allowed the application from the Prosecutor for Yulia Tymoshenko to undergo a formal medical examination to determine whether she is able to attend court hearings.

One of the German doctors treating Ms Tymoshenko stated on Sunday that moving his patient could cause her harm.  Deutsche Welle reported the German team as saying that Ms Tymoshenko’s condition means that house arrest would be appropriate.

Both the original conviction and the new prosecution have been widely condemned as evidence of selective justice and politically motivated prosecution aimed, among other things, at removing a rival from the elections.