Ukraine court refuses to arrest ex-leader in treason case

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A court in Ukraine has rejected a motion by the prosecutors to remand former President Petro Poroshenko in custody pending investigation and trial on the charges of treason, allowing the politician to walk out with a few restrictions. The ruling barred Poroshenko from leaving the capital, Kyiv, or the outlying region. It also obligated him to surrender his passport and make himself available for questioning. The prosecution has accused Poroshenko, one of Ukraine’s richest businessmen, of being involved in selling large amounts of coal that helped finance Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014-15. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Poroshenko has insisted on his innocence, calling the charges politically motivated.