Interview with Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych

• published: 30 Jul 2015
• views: 0

1. Wide of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych 2. Close-up of Yanukovych''s hands 3. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine: "We understand that this trial (Yulia Tymoshenko''s trial) puts tremendous responsibility on our current authorities." 4. Wide of Yanukovych 5. SOUNDBITE: (Russian/English translation) Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine: "On one side there have been violations of law, the effective law. But these have not had any political, under lying political motives. We categorically reject such allegation." 6. Wide of Yanukovych 7. SOUNDBITE: (Russian/English translation) Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine: "At the same time we perfectly understand the need to revise and reform the existing system of criminal justice. The judicial system itself needs to be reformed. We are dealing with these issues in a very determined manner." 8. Wide of Yanukovych 9. SOUNDBITE: (Russian/English translation) Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine: "It is difficult for me to foresee or forecast the ruling of the court and our subsequent actions will depend on that." 10. Wide of Yanukovych STORYLINE: Ukraine''s president on Tuesday refused to say what will happen to the country''s former prime minister, a key political opponent who has been jailed during a trial on charges of abusing her powers while in office. In an interview with The Associated Press in Washington DC, Viktor Yanukovych would only say that he understood the "tremendous responsibility" the imprisonment and trial of Yulia Tymoshenko has placed on the Ukrainian justice system. The charges against Tymoshenko, who allegedly abused her powers when signing a natural gas import contract with Russia in 2009, are widely viewed in Europe and the United States as politically motivated. Prosecutors say she violated legal procedures when the deal was signed. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton sent Yanukovych a letter regarding the Tymoshenko trial earlier this month, according to an EU official. Neither side has disclosed what was in the letter. "We categorically reject such allegations," Yanukovych said, when asked if the prosecution of Tymoshenko was politically motivated. Yanukovych instead said the country''s code of criminal procedures was under revision for the first time since 1962, when Ukraine was a republic of the former Soviet Union. The president said he understood the code needed revision as Ukraine seeks integration with the European Union and that many current offences should be written out of the law. However, Yanukovych declined to speculate on when the new laws might come into effect or if that would affect the outcome of the Tymoshenko prosecution. "It''s difficult for me to foresee or forecast the court''s ruling and our subsequent actions will depend on that," Yanukovych said. Tymoshenko was jailed during her trial early last month on charges of contempt of court. She insists she is innocent and claims the trial was orchestrated by Yanukovych to keep her out of political life. Although a deeply divisive figure in Ukraine, Tymoshenko retains a substantial following and was only narrowly defeated by Yanukovych in last year''s presidential election. In advance of Yanukovych''s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, which formally opens on Wednesday, the judge presiding over Tymoshenko''s trial unexpectedly postponed hearings for two weeks. That move was seen as a means to divert attention from the legal proceedings while Yanukovych is at the U.N. and possibly as a response to the renewed pressure from the United States and European Union. On Monday, Tymoshenko had said she expected a verdict by the end of that week. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/a10a28ccb86be578864214aa15eddeb0 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork