KYIV -- A court in Kyiv has refused to release from detention a former Ukrainian interior minister on trial for abuse of office, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reports.
Kyiv's Pechera District Court refused Yuriy Lutsenko's request on June 20.
Lutsenko, one of the leaders of the Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense (NUNS) parliament faction, went on trial on May 23 for abuse of office and misappropriation of funds.
He denies any wrongdoing and says his case is politically motivated.
Lutsenko's first request to be released from detention was rejected by Judge Serhiy Vovk in May.
Lutsenko's lawyers filed another request asking the court to release their client saying he needed medical treatment after he protested his arrest by going on a one-month hunger strike between April 22 and May 23.
With his decision, Vovk rejected that request, saying that "Lutsenko's lawyers failed to provide sufficient materials proving that Lutsenko cannot be kept in the detention center due to his current state of health."
Read more in Ukrainian here
Kyiv's Pechera District Court refused Yuriy Lutsenko's request on June 20.
Lutsenko, one of the leaders of the Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense (NUNS) parliament faction, went on trial on May 23 for abuse of office and misappropriation of funds.
He denies any wrongdoing and says his case is politically motivated.
Lutsenko's first request to be released from detention was rejected by Judge Serhiy Vovk in May.
Lutsenko's lawyers filed another request asking the court to release their client saying he needed medical treatment after he protested his arrest by going on a one-month hunger strike between April 22 and May 23.
With his decision, Vovk rejected that request, saying that "Lutsenko's lawyers failed to provide sufficient materials proving that Lutsenko cannot be kept in the detention center due to his current state of health."
Read more in Ukrainian here
