The lawyer for jailed former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been stripped of his seat in Ukraine's parliament.
Ukraine's top administrative court ruled Wednesday that Serhiy Vlasenko would be removed from the parliament on the grounds he illegally combined the jobs of a legislator and a lawyer.
The court ruled in response to a lawsuit by another member of parliament who accused Vlasenko of practicing law while serving as a member of parliament.
The United States and the European Union have objected to efforts by Kiev to deprive Ms. Tymoshenko of qualified legal defense.
Ms. Tymoshenko, Ukraine's top opposition leader, is facing trial on murder charges. She is already serving a seven-year prison term for abuse of office, charges she says stem from efforts by President Viktor Yanukovych to eliminate her as a political rival.
Ukraine's top administrative court ruled Wednesday that Serhiy Vlasenko would be removed from the parliament on the grounds he illegally combined the jobs of a legislator and a lawyer.
The court ruled in response to a lawsuit by another member of parliament who accused Vlasenko of practicing law while serving as a member of parliament.
The United States and the European Union have objected to efforts by Kiev to deprive Ms. Tymoshenko of qualified legal defense.
Ms. Tymoshenko, Ukraine's top opposition leader, is facing trial on murder charges. She is already serving a seven-year prison term for abuse of office, charges she says stem from efforts by President Viktor Yanukovych to eliminate her as a political rival.