A Kiev court has rejected an appeal from the country's former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko for the replacement of the judge hearing a criminal case against Ukrainian ex-premier.
Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office launched abuse of office charges against Tymoshenko in mid-April. The current Ukrainian authorities say a deal she signed with Russian energy giant Gazprom while premier contained unfavorable conditions for Ukraine.
Tymoshenko's lawyer, Serhiy Vlasenko, demanded the withdrawal of Pechersky District Court judge Rodion Kireyev, saying he could not be objective.
Tymoshenko has also been charged with illegally diverting funds meant for environmental projects to pay for pensions and purchasing 1,000 "overpriced" minivans.
The current government has long urged Russia to review the existing gas pricing formula but talks have so far been unsuccessful. In 2010, Ukraine's Naftogaz and Gazprom signed an additional gas agreement with a discount of $100 per 1,000 cubic meters.
President Viktor Yanukovych has said Ukraine will pursue ties with the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan in a 3+1 format after Gazprom said joining the union would cut the country's gas bill by $8 billion every year.
