Former Ukraine PM Tymoshenko arrested

Ukraine yesterday placed ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko under arrest for contempt of court, in a dramatic twist to her abuse of power trial, denounced by her allies as politically motivated.

In extraordinary scenes, Ms Tymoshenko was driven away from court in a police van at snail’s pace up central Kiev’s main Kreshchatyk avenue, surrounded by hundreds of police on foot to keep away her angry supporters.

Judge Rodion Kireyev of Kiev’s Pechersk district court earlier approved a prosecution request to arrest Ms Tymoshenko due to repeated order violations. Ms Tymoshenko had until now been at liberty, although obliged to stay in Kiev. Ms Tymoshenko was placed in handcuffs just outside the courtroom, after asking officials to ensure she was not seen by onlookers with them on, and led away by police to detention, an AFP correspondent in court said.

She was taken to the Luk-yanovsky detention centre, which is holding some ex-allies including former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko. There, according to Ukrainian media, she was placed in a special cell for VIP prisoners.

Her supporters shouted “Shame!” as she was led away and pro-Tymoshenko lawmakers were also involved in scuffles with police outside the entrance to the tiny courthouse.

“This is a completely unprecedented and illegal action which has no basis,” said one of Ms Tymoshenko’s lawyers Sergei Vlasenko. Her top lieutenant Olexander Turchinov vowed to bring “hundreds, thousands” out on the streets “to fight not only for Yulia but for Ukraine”.

Other supporters called a tent protest from Monday on Kiev’s Maidan square.

One of the leaders of the pro-Western Orange Revolution in 2004, Ms Tymoshenko narrowly lost to her old rival Viktor Yanukovych in Presidential elections last year. She says the trial is a vendetta pursued by the new head of state.

Mr Yanukovych’s spokesman Darka Chepak told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency that his Administration had nothing to do with the trial.