KIEV, July 12. /TASS/. Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) within a month on the violation of the right to access to justice and defense, a lawyer of the ex-president said in a conversation with a TASS reporter on Wednesday.
"The complaint by Viktor Yanukovich on the violation of the right to access to justice and, thus, to defense against Ukraine is being finalized. We will send it to the ECHR within a month," the lawyer said.
As he put it, the advocacy in Ukraine appealed the court’s refusal to allow Yanukovich to participate in the process on high treason as an inter-court assistance (through the Russian Justice Ministry and Rostov District Court), as well as the judge’s refusal to explain such a decision. That said, Serdyuk noted, all tools of national protection on this issue were used up.
"After all authorities denied our complaints and demands to bring Yanukovich into the process, that is all means of national security were used up, the process will be carried out directly within the international institution," he stressed.
In addition, the lawyer added, the appeal to the ECHR "will be submitted ahead of the court’s ruling on high treason, because the court’s decision on the start of the absentee procedure, that actually declined Viktor Yanukovich’s participation in this issue, has already been made, is in effect and is not open to appeal."
In March 2017, Military Prosecutor’s Office submitted to court an indictment against Yanukovich. He was accused of committing crimes specified, in particular, in Ukrainian criminal laws on high treason and violation of territorial supremacy and inviolability of the country.
Kiev’s Obolonsky District Court satisfied the motion of the prosecutor’s office regarding the organization of absentee court proceedings into Yanukovich’s high treason, despite the fact that the former president had expressed readiness to take part in the process in the form of an inter-court assistance.
On July 5, the former president voiced his decision to give up participation in the ongoing court proceedings in Kiev, that accused him of high treason, and withdraw his lawyers. He believes that "all possible principles and norms of law were violated, Ukraine’s Constitution was desecrated, and the rules of proceedings are being totally neglected" at the proceedings, whereas the court’s ruling "was determined beforehand." Yanukovich was later allowed a state lawyer for his defense in court. The next hearing on the case will take place on August 3.