Judge Rodion Kireyev has again ignored the defense’s motion calling to
disqualify him from the case of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, saying
that the court has already considered this request on numerous occasions, Tymoshenko's official website reported.
The defense challenged the actions of the judge, drawing attention to the fact
that all the defense’s requests are either ignored or denied. “The defense has
repeatedly filed motions to establish a proper schedule of hearings so that the
lawyers can prepare together with the defendant and provide their client
quality legal assistance. However, the presiding judge is ignoring the
defense’s requests,” said lawyer Mykola Siryi.
According to Yulia Tymoshenko, her lawyers are forced to collect evidence proving
the ex-premier’s innocence during court hearings because of the back-to-back
schedule of the trial.
“The daily routine with which this trial is being run doesn’t allow my lawyers
to collect evidence at a time other than during the hearings. I would like my
lawyer Oleksandr Plakhotnyuk to now go get evidence,” Yulia Tymoshenko said
today in court.
The ex-premier again stressed that the court is denying her right to defense by
refusing to allow breaks in the hearings during which she can communicate with
her defense team and better prepare for the trial.
Yulia Tymoshenko’s defense team had asked the court to call five witnesses from
the Kyiv Forensic Research Institute and two from the Alternative Center of
Foreign Expertise, but the just agreed to call only two experts from the Kyiv
Institute.
