Yulia Tymoshenko’s lawyer Yuriy Sukhov says the defense will take the
case of the illegal arrest of former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia
Tymoshenko to the Supreme Court.
"This is an absurd decision and clearly it will be the subject of a
complaint to the European Court of Human Rights. Of course we will
appeal to the Supreme Court. I will appeal this decision, but I know
that the Supreme Court will probably do the same because there is no
justice in Ukraine," Yuriy Sukhov told reporters after today’s hearing
where the Kyiv Court of Appeals refused to consider Yulia Tymoshenko’s
appeal of her arrest.
The lawyer noted that the decision by the Kyiv Court of Appeals was
illegal. "There is no justice in Ukraine. This is judicial lawlessness,
when a person is arrested and she can’t appeal this decision. It’s
absurd. In its decision the court referred to the fact that we based our
appeal on the Constitution and Convention for the Protection of Human
Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which says that national legislation
must provide the opportunity to appeal an order of arrest. And even if
the laws don’t, then the institution of appeal must make a decision
based on the Convention," said Yuriy Sukhov.
The lawyer stressed that in making her decision, the judge ignored
international law. "The judges provided no justification for her
decision. She said that Ukrainian law does not provide for appeal. She
doesn’t refer to international law or the Constitution, and just says
that national law, meaning the Criminal Procedure Code, doesn’t provide
for appeal. It’s absurd," he said.
Yulia Tymoshenko’s defense lawyer said that the absence of a
judicial system and inability to protect the legal rights of the
country’s citizens may force him to leave the profession. "I am working
as defense counsel on two high-profile cases and I’m afraid I will
probably leave the professional after these trials because I don’t see
the point of being a lawyer when it’s impossible to establish the truth
in the court, when no legal arguments work," he said.
In turn, defense lawyer Mykola Siryi said that the decision of the
Kyiv Appeals court regarding the ex-premier’s appeal was written in
advance. "This was not a decision of the Appeals Court judge that we
heard. This decision was definitely written outside this court," he
said.
The lawyer added that the defense will in the future appeal all the
illegal decisions by Pechersk District Court Judge Rodion Kireyev.
Архiв