Why Tymoshenko is being held in prison

On April 11, 2011, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine brought criminal case against Yulia Tymoshenko on charges of her exceeding the powers of the prime minister – Minister. It was about the conclusion in 2009 of contracts that were not profitable for the country for the supply of gas from Russia. After about a month and a half, the investigation was completed, and the case was transferred to one of the Kiev district courts. The trial began in court at the end of June 2011, and on August 5, Tymoshenko was arrested. It came after questioning of one of the witnesses – Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, to whom the leader of the Orange Revolution asked questions about corruption ties and his son’s business. The Court held that in this way it prevented the questioning of witnesses and the establishment of the truth.

The judicial investigation ended on September 8, 2011, and on October 11 the verdict was announced in which Yulia Tymoshenko was found guilty and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment with payment of the caused damage in one and a half billion hryvnias (almost 190 million dollars). Already the next day, a new record keeping was launched against the former prime minister – a case openly dismissed in 2001. In it then the future leader of the Orange Revolution was accused of “appropriation of other people’s property” during the period of activity as president of the industrial and financial corporation “Unified Energy Systems” Ukraine”. This company was created by Yulia Tymoshenko together with her husband Alexander in 1991 and was for a time the largest importer of gas from Russia.

The detention in prison of a politician who lost only 3% of the vote in the last election caused great resonance among Ukrainians and in world politics. Especially after the 52-year-old “orange lady” health deteriorated. Their disapproval of its content was expressed by the first persons of States and political parties of a wide range of directions.