Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner has spoken out against the restriction on who may be in the courtroom during the delivery of the verdict in the Yulia Tymoshenko trial, according to the Official web site of Yulia Tymoshenko.
"Understanding the situation that was created artificially to ban not just deputies but all citizens of Ukraine from the court during the final verdict, I will personally be present during the announcement," Nina Karpachova said today during a meeting of the Coordinating Council.
The Human Rights Commissioner pointed out that representatives of her office monitored the trials of Yulia Tymoshenko and former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko.
Nina Karpachova also said it was unacceptable for the court to use arrest as a measure of restraint. "Unfortunately, as the Human Rights Commissioner I am not part of the legislative process. But I appeal to the deputies to draft a law that would make arrest impossible if the court has already imposed a different restrictive measure," she said.
On September 30, Judge Rodion Kireyev of the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv announced that only the parties to the case and media will be allowed into the courtroom during the reading of the verdict in Yulia Tymoshenko’s trial.
Her lawyers have called this ruling illegal and a signal that the former prime minister will be convicted.
