All court trials in Ukraine must be held exclusively in Ukrainian, even if participants speak other languages, including Russian, said the deputy head of staff of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andrei Portnov, Kommersant reported Tuesday.
Legislation signed by President Viktor Yanukovych in late July allows the use of languages commonly spoken in Ukraine, including Russian, in the courtroom.
But Portnov said the rule only concerned trial participants who do not speak Ukrainian. They must be provided with translators, but the hearings themselves must be in Ukrainian, he said.
(MT)
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