"The legislation prohibits holding such hearings behind closed doors and that is pointless. The case has been tried in an open regime for two years and the defense will insist that the open regime should be preserved. There is no court’s decisions about hearing the case behind closed doors and that will cause a public outcry if now, at the key stage of the case, during Viktor Yanukovych’s questioning the trial is made closed for some reason," Serdyuk told 112 Ukraine TV-channel.
In 2013-2014, Kiev's central Independence Square, known as Maidan, witnessed months of the pro-European protests sparked by then President Yanukovych's announcement to reject the Ukraine–EU Association Agreement over unfavorable terms.
In February 2014, violent clashes with law enforcement officials broke out in the square, claiming the lives of some 100 civilians. The protests and the subsequent coup led to military confrontation between Kiev forces and militias in eastern Ukraine. Since the coup Yanukovych has been living in Russia.
