Tymoshenko Trial Postponed Until September 27 Experts Say Rada's
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INSIDE: l Ukrainian World Congress concludes annual meeting – page 4 l Oleh Skrypka headlines Uketoberfest in Chicago – page 11 l Canada hosts international Ukrainian soccer tourney – page 19 HEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit associationEEKLY T W Vol. LXXIX No. 38 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2011 $1/$2 in Ukraine Experts say Rada’s Tymoshenko trial postponed until September 27 new session will do president’s bidding by Mark Raczkiewycz Special to The Ukrainian Weekly KYIV – The ninth session of Ukraine’s legislature has its work cut out before it adjourns in January 2012, say lawmakers and political experts. But pro-presiden tial and opposition national deputies alike said the Verkhovna Rada will do President Viktor Yanukovych’s legal bidding as there is a comfortable pro-presidential majority to pass bills without resistance. “We plan to move ahead with the president’s socio economic plan,” said Oleksander Yefremov, head of the pro-presidential Party of Regions in Parliament. Mr. Yefremov told The Ukrainian Weekly that pri ority will be given to passing next year’s budget, enacting a parliamentary election bill ahead of next year’s election, and upgrading the country’s Soviet- UNIAN/Aleksandr Prokopenko era criminal, labor and residential codes. Arseniy Yatsenyuk (center), leader of the Front for Change party, and Serhii Sobolev (left), vice-chairman of the Opposition lawmaker Ostap Semerak of the Yulia Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc-Batkivshyna faction in Ukraine’s Parliament, near the Kyiv prison where former Prime Tymoshenko Bloc faction added that Parliament will Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who heads the Batkivschyna party, is being held. A group of Ukrainian national depu- also pass measures to open up the sale of agricultural ties visited the detention facility on September 13 to review conditions there. land, expand the privatization list of state enterprises PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The Kyiv judge presiding over the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote to President and possibly move to liberalize the energy market, trial of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Viktor Yanukovych on September 9. “It (the letter) was namely to unbundle the state-owned energy firm Tymoshenko on charges of abuse of office on September private in nature,” said spokesman Michael Mann. Naftogaz into three separate entities to improve 12 decided to adjourn the trial until September 27. But a Brussels-based diplomat familiar with the text transparency and corporate governance. Judge Rodion Kireyev’s unexpected decision came as told Reuters: “I think it’s fair to say the letter expresses Overall, Mr. Yefremov said more than 800 legisla the trial entered its final stage, with a verdict expected as concern about the state of democracy in Ukraine and tive bills are ready for votes having been reviewed by soon as this week, reported RFE/RL. refers specifically to the arrest and detention of the appropriate parliamentary committees. The Pechersky District Court judge said he was post Tymoshenko, which is troubling.” The European Council’s Venice Commission, an poning the trial after Ms. Tymoshenko had complained Meanwhile, Tymoshenko allies are angry that she will advisory body comprising of experts in constitutional she did not have enough time to prepare her defense. He have to wait in pretrial detention until the trial resumes. law, is currently reviewing the parliamentary election had previously denied such requests from the The opposition leader has been jailed since August 5. law and criminal code. Tymoshenko defense team. The Batkivschyna Party on September 12 released a Mr. Yefremov said he expects the Venice “Given the appeal of the defendant to provide more statement demanding that Ms. Tymoshenko be immedi Commission to submit its preliminary findings on the time to prepare for the [court] debate, the court declares ately released from jail. election law in one or two weeks, after which the leg a break until September 27,” Judge Kireyev was quoted by “Today authorities acknowledged that there is not a islature is expected to vote on it based on the adviso the Ukrinform news service as saying. single legal argument for handing down a sentence in the ry body’s recommendations. Ms. Tymoshenko told the news media the two-week gas trial of Yulia Tymoshenko. The case has fallen apart. The election law, some experts say, is designed to break in court sessions showed the criminal case against At the same time, by taking a two-week-long break in the ensure that the Party of Regions remains the domi her had “fallen to pieces.” court trial, those who ordered and execute political nant party in the legislature. The bill foresees a 5 per National Deputy Serhii Sobolev of the Yulia repressions against Yulia Tymoshenko left her in jail cent election threshold which could leave the Tymoshenko Bloc-Batkivschyna faction in the Verkhovna though there are no legal grounds for this,” said the state Communist Party out of the Verkhovna Rada for the Rada commented that Ukraine’s authorities announced ment. first time, along with Parliamentary Chairman the long break to see the reaction of the international Members of the Batkivschyna party, which Ms. Volodymyr Lytvyn’s eponymous party, whose ratings community at upcoming summits. Tymoshenko heads, also underscored that the former hover around 3 percent. Half of the Rada’s 450 seats Ukrinform reported that Mr. Sobolev said, “over the prime minister has been imprisoned for 38 days and dur will be filled via single mandate, first-past-the-post months of the process this is actually the first defeat of the ing this time the authorities have not allowed her to get races, and the other half is via a proportional system authorities, which is frightened by pressures both domes an appropriate medical check-up due to the acute wors in which voters vote for a particular political party. tically and outside, especially on the eve of important ening of her health. In the end, Prof. Oleksiy Haran of the National international summits.” “There is only one definition for this mockery – torture University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy emphasized that “I think that with such baggage, with the arrested party – which authorities use against their main political rival. Parliament will vote for anything the president wants. leaders who won in previous elections, it is impossible to Due to this Yulia Tymoshenko’s life is under real threat,” “If it looks like a mixed voting system (single man go to the summit of Eastern Partnership. Therefore, these the statement read. date and proportional system) will suit the Party of two weeks – this is the best time not even for our team, Batkivschyna demanded “an end to political repres Regions then that’s what they’ll pass,” said the politi but for their team to think about how to find a way out sions and torture in jail of Yulia Tymoshenko, Yurii cal science professor. “But if it looks like they won’t be from this process,” Mr. Sobolev added. Lutsenko and other opposition representatives, and the able to control the single mandate elections due to Reuters reported that some European Union members closing of false-ordered cases.” strong candidates in many races, then they’ll go back say the trial could block an agreement on closer ties and Former Prime Minister Tymoshenko is accused of to a proportional system,” he added. easier trade with Ukraine. abuse of office by signing a natural gas import deal in Reuters also cited a spokesman for the EU’s foreign (Continued on page 10) affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, who said she and U.S. (Continued on page 9) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2011 No. 38 ANALYSIS Khodorkovsky, Tymoshenko revive Ukraine vows trouble-free gas supplies it differently. Quoting Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, Mr. Lukianenko recalled old tradition of prison correspondence KYIV – Ukraine will fulfill all its obliga that the unique and essential component of tions to allow for the transit of Russian gas the Ukrainian GTS is underground gas stor to European consumers, regardless of the by Daisy Sindelar Khodorkovsky has been rebuked by pris age facilities located near the western bor on officials in the past for earlier publica outcome of negotiations with Russia to der of Ukraine. They provide absolutely RFE/RL tions. Reprimands included being placed revise the gas contract, Energy and Coal stable gas supplies to Western Europe Industry Minister Yurii Boiko said on There are nearly 850,000 men and in a special punishment cell. under any circumstances. At the same time September 9 at a joint meeting with Vice women living behind bars in Russia. The vast Ilya Barabanov, the deputy editor of the bypassing pipelines – Nord Stream and Minister of Foreign Affairs Viktor Maiko majority live silent lives, with little connection New Times, has declined to reveal how Mr. South Stream – do not have such opportu with representatives of the diplomatic to the outside world and little sense that any Khodorkovsky’s writings are transmitted nities as they are laid on the seabed and are one, anywhere, is interested in their stories. to the magazine. Nor is he sure whether his corps accredited in Ukraine. Mr. Boiko subject to even more unexplored risks assured foreign diplomats that Ukraine But Russia’s most famous prisoner is try column will eventually broaden to include (weather, natural disasters, breakdowns of continues to actively develop international ing to change all that. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, other topics. “It’s not like we get the oppor compressor stations located on the water). cooperation in the energy sector and the jailed former chief of the Yukos energy tunity to sit down and have an editorial “If Ukraine discontinues the operation of its remains a reliable energy transit country to giant, has begun publishing a regular column meeting with him,” he says.