Cassation appeal in Tymoshenko case is unlikely to be considered before European court ruling - defense lawyer
KYIV. June 26 (Interfax) - Serhiy Vlasenko, a defense lawyer for Yulia Tymoshenko, believes the Ukrainian Higher Specialized Court will postpone the hearing of the cassation appeal contesting the sentence in the gas supply case against Yulia Tymoshenko on July 12.
Vlasenko believes the court will continue postponing the hearings until the European Court of Human Rights gives its decision on Tymoshenko's claim contesting the legality of her imprisonment.
Vlasenko told reporters on Tuesday that by postponing the trial of his client's case until July 12, the authorities are trying to create additional obstacles for Yulia Tymoshenko to European Court of Human Rights decisions.
"They have postponed the trial under false pretences again. We understand that the decision made by this court will not be independent. Moreover, the court already knows what the decision will be," Vlasenko was quoted as saying by the Yulia Tymoshenko official website on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian High Specialized Court on Civil and Criminal Cases has postponed until July 12 the hearing of a cassation appeal filed by ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her defense team against the gas case verdict. The judge said the court needs information on Yulia Tymoshenko's health, which will be obtained with the help of a forensic evaluation.
This is already the second adjournment of the case hearing. Earlier a session was delayed due to the requirement of the ex-prime minister's attendance and to allow the sides to familiarize themselves with the case.
According to earlier reports, the Kyivsky District Court in Kharkiv on June 25 granted the state prosecutor's request to order a forensic medical evaluation of Tymoshenko's health. The court motivated its decision by not having obtained any exact information about her condition since the start of the legal proceedings.
The judge also said that if Tymoshenko refuses examination, the evaluation can be carried out on the basis of existing medical records.