Kharkiv court announces break until 1430 in hearing of UESU case against Tymoshenko

The court has announced a break until 1430 on March 5 in the hearing of the criminal case on the activities of the United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU) Corporation due to the absence of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

"Defendant Tymoshenko is absent from the court hearing. We have not been informed yet whether she would participate in it. In connection with this, the court announces a break in the hearing until 1430 of today," judge Kostiantyn Sadovsky said on Tuesday.

The ex-premier's defense lawyer Andriy Kozhemiakin described the court's decision to announce a break in the hearing as "a game."

"The prosecutor's office has been playing games since last night - the cars enter the territory of the hospital and then leave it," he said.

Kozhemiakin recalled that Tymoshenko did not refuse from the participation in the court hearing and she just told the prison service that she is hospitalized and said that it must stick to the legislation.

As reported, the previous sitting of Kyivsky District Court of Kharkiv to hear the UESU case was scheduled for February 12. However, it was adjourned until March 5 due to Tymoshenko's absence.

As reported, a preliminary hearing of the case was held on April 19, 2012. Tymoshenko did not attend any of those hearings.

Tymoshenko is charged under five counts in the UESU case.

On October 11, 2011, Kyiv Pechersky District Court sentenced Tymoshenko to seven years in prison for exceeding her powers when signing gas supply contracts with Russia in 2009. She has served her sentence in the Kharkiv Kachanivska Penal Colony since late December 2011.

Tymoshenko is currently undergoing treatment at Kharkiv-based Central Clinical Hospital No. 5.