A Ukrainian court on Friday rejected a new appeal to free imprisoned opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko despite mounting global concern over the motivations for her detention. The Kiev appeals court said in its ruling there were no legal grounds to examine the appeal to release the former prime minister, one week after her arrest for contempt of court during her abuse of power trial stunned Ukraine.
“There are no legal grounds for examining this ruling. The court rules that the appeal is inadmissible,” said judge Olga Efimova. “This decision cannot be appealed,” she added. The ruling was greeted with cries of “Shame!” by pro-Tymoshenko lawmakers who had crammed into the tiny courtroom, while one deputy yelled at the judge: “Criminal in a judge’s gown! Tyrant to the prison!” Tymoshenko’s lawyer Yuriy Sukhov described the ruling as “summary justice”.
