Kyiv's Obolonsky District Court has scheduled witnesses for the defense team of disgraced former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych during his state treason trial, scheduling the sessions for May 7 and May 14.

Dmytro Ivantsov, ex-former bodyguard of Yanukovych is scheduled to appear on May 4, and ex-commander of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's defense forces Stanislav Shuliak on May 17.

As earlier reported, the court is going to hear testimony from Antimaidan rally participant Andriy Nikiforov, who will participate in a video call from Russian-occupied Crimea, and from former Vyshgorod district council member from Yanukovych's Party of Regions Anatoliy Kobylynsky, who headed the Grosser protection agency, which was responsible for guarding Yanukovych's Mezhyhirya residence outside of Kyiv.

At the previous hearing on April 19, the court decided to start the judicial debate on the case of Viktor Yanukovych's government. Yanukovych's lawyers left the courtroom. The court then postponed the hearing to May 3, indicating that it would replace Yanukovych's lawyers if they failed to appear.