Aver Lex lawyers for Viktor Yanukovych have filed an appeal against the ruling by Kyiv's Obolonsky district court in the high treason case, sentencing the ex-president of Ukraine to 13 years in prison.

The appeal was lodged with Kyiv's court of appeals through the Obolonsky court on February 22, the press service of the lawyers' association told Interfax-Ukraine.

"From a legal point of view, the Obolonsky district court's verdict is absolutely illegal and unreasonable, because it is based on a falsified case. The court’s one-sided position in assessing evidence, numerous serious violations of criminal law provisions – all this is covered on over 190 pages of our appeal," lawyer Vitaly Serdyuk said.

What is more, he said, the appeal previously filed by lawyer of the Center for Free Secondary Legal Aid Yuriy Riabovol is illegitimate. "Viktor Yanukovych has officially expressed his position repeatedly that he does not need the services of any public lawyer, especially when his [the lawyer's] actions are coordinated with the General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine," Serdyuk said.

An application has already been filed against Riabovol for committing a crime under Article 400-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (representation in court without authority), Serdyuk said. What is more, complaints were lodged with the Higher Qualification and Disciplinary Bar Commission of Ukraine for deprivation him of the right to work as a lawyer.