Court medical assessment says Tymoshenko can attend hearings

The next hearing in the second prosecution of imprisoned former Prime Minister and opposition leader has been fixed for 31 July. 

During Monday’s court hearing the presiding judge read out the conclusions of a medical examination carried out at the court’s request. This stated that Ms Tymoshenko’s illness was chronic, not serious nor life-threatening, and her condition “stably satisfactory”.

The assessment concludes that Ms Tymoshenko can take part in court hearings. The prosecution asked for the hearing to be adjourned until 31 July in order for Ms Tymoshenko to read the medical conclusion.

Yulia Tymoshenko is already serving a sentence over the 2009 “gas accords” with Russia which has been denounced as politically motivated by all democratic countries and bodies. In the new prosecution she is accused of organizing concealment of foreign currency profit of over 155 million USD; illegal compensation with public funding and tax evasion amounting to over 47 million UAH through financial machinations.  The criminal investigation was initiated some years back then terminated in early 2005.  Yulia Tymoshenko’s defence lawyers are adamant that it was terminated lawfully.

This more overtly “criminal case” has been met with scepticism by the international community.