European parliament sends observers to Tymoshenko trial

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday European Parliament President Martin Schulz sent former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and former EP President Pat Cox to Ukraine to monitor court proceedings against former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Schulz said the observers will have full access to all documents relevant to the case, as well as to lawyers, prosecutors and other officials. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it hoped the observers would help put to rest allegations of political persecution by the Ukrainian government. Tymoshenko is currently serving a seven-year jail sentence in a Kharkiv penal colony for her role in negotiating a gas supply contract with Russia in 2009; an appeal in that case is scheduled to be heard on June 26.

Brad Wells: We are cautiously optimistic that the initiative, which appears to have the support of the Ukrainian government, will result in a fair appeal for Tymoshenko. Most observers have long written off the proceedings, given the government’s pull with the prosecution and courts. Notably, even if Tymoshenko’s appeal in the gas case is successful, she would continue to be held in custody pending the outcome of other other cases and investigations against her, though she would technically be allowed to participate in the upcoming parliamentary election.