The defense team of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko challenged Kyiv Appeals Court Judge Olena Sytailo at the beginning of a preliminary hearing of her complaint against her seven-year conviction.

Tymoshenko's lawyer Yuriy Sukhov challenged the judge orally at the Thursday hearing.

He explained this move by the fact that the judge hearing the case was replaced right before the hearing.

The judge went to a deliberations room to consider the petition.