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Court denies pause to Timoshenko to prepare for questioning

But Timoshenko objected saying she had never refused to testify and that she only needed time to prepare for the procedure

KIEV, September 6 (Itar-Tass) — Kiev's Pechora district court on Tuesday assumed that former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko had refused to testify, and decided to announce her testimony given during pre-trial investigation, according to the ruling by judge Rodion Kireyev, who presides over the trial of the "gas case" against Timoshenko.

Prior to his decision, the judge refused to meet Timoshenko's petition to give her two days to prepare for testimony and start the questioning only after considering all the petitions lodged by her defence.

Kireyev underlined that the former prime minister had already been given time for such preparations.

"The defendant actually refused to testify," Kireyev said.

But Timoshenko objected saying she had never refused to testify and that she only needed time to prepare for the procedure.

"I will assume that I have been stripped of the right to testify," she stated.

Timoshenko's questioning is one of the final stages in the trial before handing down the verdict.

The court adjourned till Wednesday.

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