KIEV, January 17 (RIA Novosti) – A Kiev district court on Friday terminated criminal proceedings against the lawyer of jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko because the statute of limitations had expired.
Serhiy Vlasenko faced up to two years in jail on charges of domestic violence for suspected assaults against his former wife in 2008, 2010 and 2012. He filed a petition to close his case at preliminary hearings on Thursday, citing the statute of limitations.
“Vlasenko is to be released from criminal liability because the statute of limitations related to criminal charges against him has expired,” Judge Oleg Bilotserkivets announced.
The judge, however, upheld the previous ruling that the lawyer be barred from leaving Kiev until the new court order comes into force.
The court order is subject to appeal within seven days.
Ukrainian prosecutors have already agreed with the court’s decision, but said Vlasenko’s petition formally meant his recognition of the crime as the closure of criminal cases due to expiration of the statute of limitations did not presume rehabilitation of the suspect under Ukrainian legislation.
Vlasenko was first called for questioning on domestic violence charges in November last year just as Ukraine was mulling whether to sign a cooperation agreement with the European Union.
He was released from pretrial custody on a $2,700 bail but has been barred from leaving Kiev except for visits to Kharkiv, a city about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of the capital, for consultations with bed-stricken Tymoshenko.
Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party says the case against Vlasenko is part of a witch hunt focused on the ex-prime minister’s close associates.
