Accessibility links

Breaking News

Witness Says Tymoshenko Ordered Lawmaker's Murder


Yulia Tymoshenko is serving a seven-year jail term.
Yulia Tymoshenko is serving a seven-year jail term.
A third witness has told a court hearing into the killing of Ukrainian lawmaker Yevhen Shcherban in 1996 that he has no doubts former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko ordered the murder.

The witness told the Kyiv court that another former prime minister, Pavlo Lazarenko, had organized the murder.

He did not give any details linking Tymoshenko and Lazarenko to the murder.

Tymoshenko is serving a seven-year prison sentence in the eastern city of Kharkiv for abuse-of-office.

Prison authorities said she refused to attend the March 4 hearing or participate via video-link because of poor health.

Lazarenko is currently in the United States after serving several years in jail there for money laundering.

Both Tymoshenko and Lazarenko deny any involvement in Shcherban's murder saying the charges are politically motivated.

Based on reporting by UNIAN and Interfax

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG