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Court rules against arresting Poroshenko pending treason trial

The court rejected the motion by the prosecution to arrest the former president or have him pay a bail of $35.8 million

Pyotr Poroshenko (center) Irina Yakovleva/TASS

Pyotr Poroshenko (center)

© Irina Yakovleva/TASS

KIEV, January 19. /TASS/. A court in Kiev ruled that former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko be released pending his trial on treason charges as long as he pledged to appear in court and law enforcement offices, according to a TASS reporter present in the courtroom.

The court rejected the motion by the prosecution to arrest the former president or have him pay a bail of $35.8 million.

Several thousands of Poroshenko’s supporters rallied outside the court building during the hearing.

Poroshenko’s defense lawyer Igor Golovan said the court banned the former president from leaving Kiev without permission from investigation and also ruled that he surrender his foreign travel passport. Alexey Goncharenko, a lawmaker that represents Poroshenko’s party in the national legislature, said the court also seized the former president’s and his wife’s property.

The former president is a defendant in the case of Donbass coal supplies in 2014-2015. The case was opened based on the Ukrainian Criminal Code’s articles covering the financing of terrorism, high treason and the creation of a terrorist organization. If found guilty, Poroshenko may face up to 15 years in prison with or without the confiscation of his property.

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