Vitaliy Serdiuk, lawyer of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, said he would file another statement on behalf of his client with the Obolonsky District Court of Kyiv on Monday that the ex-president cannot attend the trial and did not receive the subpoena.

"I am planning to file a statement signed by Viktor Yanukovych with the Obolonsky District Court; this statement is about applying the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters: our client has not been subpoenaed to that proceeding, and no request has been made for international assistance as is prescribed by the aforesaid convention," Serdiuk said on Monday morning, before the court started to hear the high treason accusations brought against Yanukovych.

"Hence, the result is that Viktor Yanukovych cannot participate and recognize the evidence collected during the proceeding as appropriate and admissible," Serdiuk said.

Yanukovych demanded in his statement that "the Prosecutor General's Office and the court strictly comply with the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, i.e. provide a video link as an international legal assistance procedure," the lawyer said.

"This is the only way to conduct the required interviews and to obtain appropriate and admissible evidence in the course of questioning top-ranking state officials, which he will also request during this proceeding," Serdiuk said.

The European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters "cannot be ignored, even though the Prosecutor General's Office wishes to conduct the trial without Viktor Yanukovych," the lawyer said. "This will not happen; he will participate in the proceeding and in the discussion of all evidence the Prosecutor General's Office wishes to present," he said.

The relevant statement and a number of others will be lodged with the court, Serdiuk said. In all, the defense team has prepared to file over 230 requests with the court on Monday. "There are things to do. The defense has done its homework," he said.