The daughter of imprisoned Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko made an emotional plea in court yesterday for her mother’s freedom as the family rallied round the former prime minister.

Yevgenia Carr, who is married to a British rock musician, has made several appearances to support her mother since Mrs Tymoshenko’s arrest for contempt of court earlier this month stunned Ukraine. But these were her first comments at the trial.

“The life and freedom of my mother depend on your decision. So please support the request to free my mum,” Mrs Carr, who shares her mother’s looks and sense of glamour, told the court.

“People would see that the court works and acts within a framework of freedom and human rights,” she added. She was backing the seventh motion by the defence to free her mother – all have been rejected so far. She had married Sean Carr in 2005 after meeting the British death metal singer while studying at the London School of Economics and he moved to Kiev, reportedly with his Harley Davidson motorcycle and rottweiler in tow.

Since then his band DVS (Death Valley Screamers) has become famous in Ukraine and much better known than in his native Britain.

Mrs Tymoshenko risks being jailed for up to 10 years if convicted of abuse of power over gas deals she signed with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in 2009 which ended a standoff that cut supplies to several European countries.

The former presidential candidate has always maintained she is the victim of a political vendetta pursued by Viktor Yanukovych after defeating her and other leaders of the 2004 Orange Revolution in 2010 elections.

Also prominent at the court hearings since her arrest has been Mrs Tymoshenko’s husband Olexander who had all but disappeared from view after her election defeat at the hands of Mr Yanukovych.Analysts believe the family is a potent weapon in helping Mrs Tymoshenko argue that the trial against her is a political process rather than based on solid legal foundations.