Yanukovych waives right to participate in court via video conference

18:14, 18.05.2017 1 min read

Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has not used his right to participate in the session of the Obolonsky District Court of Kyiv, a representative of the prosecution in Yanukovych's case, Ruslan Kravchenko, said.

"The court has given Yanukovych an opportunity to participate... The Obolonsky court passed a lawful, objective decision to allow Yanukovych to take part in the judicial proceedings... without the possibility of delaying the process from either the Russian Federation or the defense team. But as we all saw, he [Yanukovych] has not used [this opportunity]," Kravchenko said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday after a meeting of Obolonsky district court in Kyiv.

He expressed an opinion that the defendant failed to take part in the court session in order to drag out the trial.

"But to take part in a videoconference in is his right, and not an obligation, and he did not use this right," the prosecutor added.

Kravchenko also said he had grounds for requesting a trial in absentia.