Ukrainian justice minister: Tymoshenko sentence should be reduced
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 12 October 2011 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Ukrainian justice minister: Tymoshenko sentence should be reduced, 12 October 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4eaaa7f0c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
October 12, 2011
Yulia Tymoshenko listens as the judge reads the verdict on her case in a district court in Kyiv on October 11.
Ukraine's justice minister says the seven-year prison sentence handed to former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko should be reduced.
Speaking in Kyiv, Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrinovych defended the ruling against Tymoshenko as fair, but argued she received a harsher sentence than appropriate because that was the minimum allowed by Ukraine's Criminal Code.
Lavrinovych said the solution would be for parliament to make changes to laws that classify acts similar to Tymoshenko's "a political rather than criminal violation," with lesser penalties for political violations.
Lavrinovych's comments came in the wake of a flood of international criticism of Ukraine for the Tymoshenko trial and its outcome.
Meanwhile, Tymoshenko's lawyer, Yuriy Sukhov, said she would appeal the verdict next week.
compiled from agency reports
Link to original story on RFE/RL website