Ukraine v. Tymoshenko (the Gas Controversy): The Verdict of the Pechersk District Court in Kyiv, Ukraine: Case Comment

The Oil, Gas & Energy Law Intelligence (OGEL), 2012

Transnational Dispute Management Journal (TDM), 2012

106 Pages Posted: 13 Jan 2012 Last revised: 23 Jan 2012

See all articles by Leonila Guglya

Leonila Guglya

University of Geneva - Department of Public International Law

Date Written: January 12, 2012

Abstract

The verdict discussed in the article was rendered by the judge of the Pechersk District Court of the city of Kyiv (the trial court), Mr. Rodion Kireev. The judge proclaimed Ms. Yulia Tymoshenko guilty in committing the crime provided for in Art. 365(3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, “Excess of power or official authority, which resulted in grave consequences,” ordering her to serve a 7-year-long court sentence, being incapable to occupy the official state positions in Ukraine for 3 years thereafter, as well as to pay a substantial amount to the civil petitioner in monetary damages to the NSC “Naftogas of Ukraine.”

The verdict was appealed by Tymoshenko. On 23 December 2011, the appeal was dismissed by the Appellate Court of the city of Kyiv.3 On 22 December 2011, when the appeal was still pending, Tymoshenko announced that she and her defense team will neither continue with the participation in the court proceedings, nor further challenge the verdict in Ukraine (e.g. in cassation).

The defense team fully relies on the ECHR in their further actions.

The discussion of the focal points of the verdict (and, where appropriate, of the procedural environment in which it was made) proceeds along the following lines: First, the “story” on which the verdict is based is be outlined, followed by the timeline of the events described and the summary of the evolution of the gas and gas transit prices, applicable between Ukraine and the Russian Federation at the time relevant to the events discussed in the verdict; Secondly, the analysis in the verdict of the alleged crime is critically accessed; Thirdly, a glance is given to the profile of the judge, who authored the verdict as well as to the defense and the prosecution “teams”. Fourthly, the other criminal proceedings against Tymoshenko and the procedural steps taken therein, in particular – the second detention of already detained Tymoshenko, are accessed. Fifthly, the internet footage of Tymoshenko’s living conditions in the jail are looked at. Sixthly, the appeal is analyzed. Seventhly, and finally, the developments before the ECHR are outlined. The discussion is followed by the full text translation of the verdict from Ukrainian into English (Annex 1) as well as by the list of the other court cases in which Tymoshenko was or is involved (Annex 2).

Besides the text of the verdict itself, the discussion is largely based on the news reports, analytical assessments of the events and the documents and statements available online.

Accordingly, the situation is covered to the best of the author’s knowledge and, at times, might lack the expected precision.

Keywords: Tymoshenko, verdict, gas, criminal charges, Russian Federation, Ukraine, gas crisis, excess of authority, detention, appeal, ECHR

JEL Classification: K14, K12, K41, L95, L98, Q40

Suggested Citation

Guglya, Leonila, Ukraine v. Tymoshenko (the Gas Controversy): The Verdict of the Pechersk District Court in Kyiv, Ukraine: Case Comment (January 12, 2012). The Oil, Gas & Energy Law Intelligence (OGEL), 2012, Transnational Dispute Management Journal (TDM), 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1984118

Leonila Guglya (Contact Author)

University of Geneva - Department of Public International Law ( email )

Geneva
Switzerland

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