U.S. court dismisses ex-Ukrainian leader's suit against political foes
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 19 September 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, U.S. court dismisses ex-Ukrainian leader's suit against political foes, 19 September 2015, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/561d048215.html [accessed 27 December 2015] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 19, 2015
Yulia Tymoshenko speaks during a parliament session in Kyiv on September 17.
A U.S. court judge has dismissed a lawsuit by former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko accusing her political opponents of running a U.S.-based racketeering enterprise that led to her imprisonment.
The court said Tymoshenko failed to show that industrialist Dmytro Firtash laundered money in the United States to help pay Ukrainian prosecutors and supporters of Viktor Yanukovych, who in 2010 narrowly defeated Tymoshenko to become Ukraine's president.
Tymoshenko claimed that Firtash, who partially owns Ukrainian energy company RosUkrEnergo, "skimmed" millions of dollars from natural gas contracts and laundered them through bogus Manhattan real estate transactions.
She said the campaign was payback for her 2009 agreement with Russia to eliminate RosUkrEnergo as an intermediary in natural gas sales.
In dismissing the complaint, the court said Tymoshenko failed to establish a direct relationship between Firtash's conduct and the harm she suffered.
Tymoshenko had sought punitive damages for her imprisonment and harm to her reputation.
Tymoshenko was convicted in October 2011 and sentenced to seven years in prison for abusing her power in connection with the 2009 gas transaction.
She was freed in February 2014 after Yanukovych was ousted as president.
Based on reporting by Reuters and Courhouse News Service
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
