Ukraine: Court Upholds Travel Ban For Ex-PM Tymoshenko
By Ria Novosti
A Kiev court has rejected an appeal from Ukraine’s former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to cancel her recognizance not to leave the country.
The Pechyorskiy court in Kiev has also refused to give another month for Tymoshenko’s lawyers to study case materials and scheduled the trial to start on June 29.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office launched abuse of office charges against Tymoshenko in mid-April. She has also been charged with illegally diverting funds meant for environmental projects to pay for pensions and purchasing 1,000 “overpriced” minivans.
During preliminary hearings, the Pechyorsky court ordered that Tymoshenko must not leave the country and also restricted her travels within Ukraine.
The current Ukrainian authorities say a deal she signed with Russian energy giant Gazprom while premier contained unfavorable conditions for Ukraine.
The current government has long urged Russia to review the existing gas pricing formula but talks have so far been unsuccessful. In 2010, Ukraine’s Naftogaz and Gazprom signed an additional gas agreement with a discount of $100 per 1,000 cubic meters.
