Kyiv court to hold Yanukovych treason trial in absentia:
By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
A court in Kyiv has decided to hold the treason trial of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in absentia.
Presiding Judge Vladyslav Devyatko made the announcement on June 29 after Yanukovych, who is in Russia, repeatedly failed to show up in the courtroom.
His lawyer, Vitaliy Serdyuk, said Yanukovych could not attend the hearings due to threats to his life.
The next hearing is to take place on July 6.
Kyiv Court To Hold Hearing In Yanukovych Treason Case
By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
KYIV -- A court in Kyiv is scheduled to hold a hearing in former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s treason case on June 29.
On June 26, Judge Vladyslav Devyatko decided to adjourn the case after Yanukovych, who is in Russia, did not show up in the courtroom.
His lawyer, Vitaly Serdyuk, said Yanukovych was eager to take part via video link and “testify according to norms of international law.” But Serdyuk said Ukrainian authorities were not making this possible.
During the preliminary hearings, Yanukovych's defense insisted that the court must formally ask Russia for assistance to set up a video link for his client.
The court has rejected the request, saying Yanukovych can take part via any video link available on the Internet -- meaning that a formal request is not needed.
Yanukovych abandoned office in late February 2014 and fled to Russia in the face of protests triggered by his decision to scrap plans for a landmark deal with the European Union and improve trade ties with Moscow instead.
Dozens of people were killed when his government attempted to clamp down on the Euromaidan protests.
Yanukovych is accused of treason, violating Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and abetting Russian aggression.
After he fled, Russia seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and fomented separatism in eastern Ukraine, where a war between the government and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 10,000 people.
Germany Calls On Ukraine, Russia-Backed Separatists To Extend Cease-Fire
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel called on Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine to extend a harvest-related cease-fire, saying it could help pave the way for a political solution.
Gabriel, speaking at a news conference in Krasnodar with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, said it did not make sense that the parties to the conflict could enforce a cease-fire during special times but not at other times.
"Strangely enough, it seems to work when both sides have a mutual interest, namely getting the harvest done," Gabriel said. "The question is, why does one have to go back to violating the cease-fire once it's over?"
Gabriel said he realized the two sides were far apart on political issues, such as holding elections in eastern Ukraine, but a solidification of the truce could lead to more progress on those issues.
He said Germany is ready to provide financial aid to improve living conditions for all sides in the Donbas region if the cease-fire could be extended.
At least 10,000 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine over the past three years, despite the Minsk cease-fire agreement signed in February 2015.