13 December 2011
The Kyiv Appellate Court is due to begin hearings today on appeals submitted by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko against her seven-year prison sentence, according to Interfax. Brad Wells: The outcome of the appeal is far from clear, though given the political slant behind the prosecutor’s position, there is little reason to believe Tymoshenko’s defense will be any more successful than they were during the initial trial. Even if the appeal is ultimately successful, a Kyiv district court ordered Tymoshenko to be re-arrested last week, so Tymoshenko would remain behind bars pending new developments in the other 10-odd criminal cases being brought against her. The fact that the hearings are being held is neutral in terms of foreign and domestic policy implications. A successful appeal, though it would do little to free Tymoshenko, could assuaging some of the concern that Ukrainian courts are being used as a tool of political suppression.