In what can be seen as an awkward attempt to drag out the criminal case, Kyiv Appellate court has postponed a hearing in Petro Poroshenko’s case after the court officials allegedly failed to deliver the criminal case documents  from the lower, Kyiv Pecheskiy, court that earlier ruled to bar the opposition leader from international travel.

The opposition leader’s legal team filed an appeal on the restrictions which was scheduled to be reviewed on Friday.

Illya Novikov who represents Poroshenko in his legal battles, said failure to present the court documents looks like a publicity stunt  adding the trial is clearly ‘political’.

‘It is not some sort of a special operations’ task to have a stack of files delivered from Pecheskskiy and Vladimirsky courts to Solomyansky court,’ said Novikov, responding to the news that the court hearing date was shifted to February 11.

He remarked  he had some ‘assumptions’ about why such delays are taking place,  arguing state prosecutors are now probably facing pressure and it is no coincidence when chief prosecutor takes a day off when Poroshenko’s indictment is rubberstamped.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyer also weighed in on rumors state prosecutors may bring in Opposition Platform for Life Viktor Medvedchuk for Petro Poroshenko’s cross-examination.

‘There will be no such spectacle, I promise’, claimed Novikov, noting that the opposition leader facing charges of treason over disputable state coal contracts in occupied Donbas will not play into the hands of Zelensky officials.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of Poroshenko’s backers gathered outside the Kyiv Appellate court to support the opposition leader.