The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has found the Ukrainian authorities guilty of unlawfully detaining former Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko and has ordered that Lutsenko be paid 15,000 euros ($19,000) in damages.
The court in Strasbourg, France, ruled on July 3 that Ukrainian authorities arbitrarily arrested and detained Lutsenko, an ally of jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
In February Lutsenko was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of embezzlement and abuse of office.
He spent more than a year in pretrial detention.
The European Court said Ukraine had given "no valid reasons" for Lutsenko's detention, had not duly informed him of the reasons for his detention, and had failed to properly review the lawfulness of his detention.
No comment from Ukrainian officials was immediately available.
The court in Strasbourg, France, ruled on July 3 that Ukrainian authorities arbitrarily arrested and detained Lutsenko, an ally of jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
In February Lutsenko was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of embezzlement and abuse of office.
He spent more than a year in pretrial detention.
The European Court said Ukraine had given "no valid reasons" for Lutsenko's detention, had not duly informed him of the reasons for his detention, and had failed to properly review the lawfulness of his detention.
No comment from Ukrainian officials was immediately available.