Ex-PM to boycott her jail term appeal
Tymoshenko, the fiercest opponent of President Viktor Yanukovich, was condemned for overstepping her powers in forcing through a gas deal with Russia in 2009. The European Union and United States said the trial was politically motivated.
The former prime minister dismissed the original trial as part of a campaign by Yanukovich to rid himself of a political rival, and filed an appeal. Yesterday she and her lawyers accused the appeals court of bias and said there was no hope for a fair trial. “I have decided to refuse to take part in this shameful process and not to appeal the decisions of the two courts. Seeking truth and justice in Ukrainian courts is a useless task.”
