The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the decision of the Kyiv Court of Appeals to reject former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s appeal of her conviction by the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv in the so-called "gas case", according to the Official web site of Yulia Tymoshenko.
"We deeply regret the Ukrainian court’s decision to dismiss the appeal of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was sentenced in October to seven years in prison, three years of ineligibility to hold public office, and a fine of $190 million for alleged `abuse of authority` during the signing of gas agreements with Russia in January 2009," said a statementby the Ministry.
The French ministry stressed that the appeal process, just as the original trial, "took place in haste and disregard for the basic right of defense."
"At the EU-Ukraine Summit on December 19, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening relations with Ukraine. In return for this cooperation with Europe, as pointed out by President Van Rompuy, we expect from Ukraine a major effort in terms of respect for European values. In this regard, the consideration of Yulia Tymoshenko’s appeal, like other legal proceedings against other opposition figures, have signs that we view with great concern. We urge Ukraine to take immediate action to enforce the rule of law and put an end to judicial proceedings that are distant from European standards in this area," the statement said.
