Czech Republic will not recognise Tymoshenko conviction

The Czech Republic will not recognise the conviction of former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and is deeply disappointed with the verdict, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Tuesday. Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg told journalists after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg that the conviction of Tymoshenko will harm relations between the European Union and Ukraine. Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison on Tuesday for having transgressed her powers as prime minister. The court ruled that she must also cover damages of roughly 200 million dollars incurred by the state energy company Naftogaz through Russian gas import contracts she signed in 2009. The Foreign Ministry said the trial did not respect international standards for a fair, transparent and independent legal process.