Police officer hospitalized after brawl with MPs in Kyiv court

A Gryphon judicial police officer has been hospitalized after a brawl between MPs and police in Kyiv's Pechersky District Court, which was to hold investigatory proceedings in a criminal case on the murder of MP Yevhen Scherban, the press service of the Interior Ministry's main office in Kyiv has reported.

The press service said that Investigating Judge Oksana Tsarevych decided to remove from the courtroom those who were not participants in the trial or media representatives.

"Since the troublemakers did not respond to the demands of the judge, the enforcement of this decision was placed onto the employees of the Gryphon special judicial police unit, whose responsibility it is to ensure the protection of public order in the courts," reads the statement.

During the enforcement of the court's decision, law enforcement officers proposed that MPs voluntarily leave the courtroom, but the latter refused.

"However, MPs started groundlessly offending law enforcement officers and provoking a scuffle. At the same time, employees of the Gryphon special judicial police unit acted within the law, without using physical force," the press service said.

The statement says that measures of response by police officers against unlawful activities did not limit deputy immunity, since they were taken under the decision of the presiding judge, according to the existing legislation.

The press service said that "the enforcement of court decisions, under current law, is unconditional for police officers and all citizens, regardless of their status."

"Therefore, persons who obstruct or interfere with the enforcement of such decisions can be called to account," reads the statement.

As reported, Kyiv's Pechersky District Court started to hold investigatory proceedings on the criminal case on the murder of Ukrainian parliamentarian Scherban in the absence of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is a suspect in the case.

Judge Tsarevych found the ex-premier guilty of contempt of court, which is an administrative offence, and obliged her to pay a penalty of 1,000 nontaxable minimum incomes, which is UAH 17,000 ($2,000).

The judge also drew fined Serhiy Vlasenko, a defense lawyer for Tymoshenko, 1,000 nontaxable minimum incomes for contempt of court.

When the judge announced the rulings regarding the imposture of fines on Tymoshenko and Vlasenko, the MPs in the courtroom reacted to it very emotionally.