26 December 2011
The Kyiv Appellate Court ruled on Friday to uphold a district court’s guilty verdict and seven-year jail sentence for former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. She was sentenced on October 11 for her role in negotiating a gas supply contract with Russia in 2009. Tymoshenko and her legal team announced last week they were boycotting all legal proceedings in Ukraine and would focus on an appeal filed in August with the European Court of Human Rights. Brad Wells: Friday’s ruling boosts the international perception that Ukrainian courts are being used as a tool of political pressure. Last week the European Court of Human Rights said it was fast tracking Tymoshenko’s appeal, but it could still be matter of months before the case is considered.