The panel of judges took a relevant decision at its meeting on Friday, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported.
The court agreed with the defense team position that it is not advisable to decide at the preparatory meeting on the possibility of holding an in-absentia consideration of this case, therefore this issue will be resolved when the case will be considered on its merits.
If Yanukovych fails to appear in court, the prosecution service will request a special (in-absentia) proceeding of the high treason trial of the former Ukrainian president (2010-2014).
"If the defendant Yanukovych fails to appear in court, the prosecution will insist on a special (in-absentia) proceeding. The prosecution will not make this request if Yanukovych is present," prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko from the Ukrainian Main Prosecutor's Office told reporters after the Friday hearing, which scheduled the consideration of case merits for June 26.
The prosecutor called untrue claims by Yanukovych's lawyers that the court had declined to hear the case in absentia and said that the court would make the decision while hearing the case merits.
Yanukovych is accused of aiding and abetting the encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, causing the deaths of human beings or other grave consequences (punishable by a prison term of between 7 and 12 years), high treason (punishable by a prison term of between 10 and 15 years), and an aggressive war or aggressive military operations (punishable by a prison term of between 10 and 15 years) under the Ukrainian Criminal Code.
