Yanukovych to file a lawsuit against Ukraine in the European Court of Human Rights
Viktor Yanukovych, the former President of Ukraine, will file a lawsuit with the European Court of Human Rights within a month, according to his lawyer, Vitaly Serdyuk, who said that his client intends to complain about Ukraine’s violation of his right to access justice and protection.
Yanukovych’s defense team will not wait for the verdict of the Ukrainian court in the high treason case against him. His lawyers regard the decision of the court to begin his trial in absentia as an actual refusal by the former President to participate in the process.
Earlier, Yanukovych refused to participate in the hearings on the high treason case and withdrew his lawyers. The court appointed a public defender to him.
The day before, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko stated again that the former President should be able to participate in the court hearing on high treason in Ukraine and promised to ensure his safety.
As reported, on June 29th the Obolonsky Court of Kyiv authorized the in absentia trial of former President Viktor Yanukovych for high treason.
Yanukovich, who has been in Russia since November 28, 2016, is a suspect in criminal proceedings under part 1 of Article 111 (high treason), part 5 of Article 27, part 3 of Article 110 (complicity in willful acts committed with the aim of changing the borders of the territory and the state border of Ukraine in violation of the procedure established by the Constitution of Ukraine), part 5 of Article 27, and part 2 of Article 437 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (conniving in the conduct of an aggressive war).