- Title: UKRAINE: Thousands rally in support of Yulia Tymoshenko as court postpones case
- Date: 12th April 2013
- Summary: KHARKIV, UKRAINE (APRIL 12,. 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF OPPOSITION PROTESTERS MARCHING LEADER OF OPPOSITION PARTY 'UDAR' VITALY KLITSCHKO WALKING THROUGH CROWD PROTESTERS MAN ON BULL HORN PROTESTERS WALKING PAN OF POLICE OFFICERS IN LINE POLICE OFFICERS' BACKS KLITSCHKO GETTING UP ON TOP OF VAN OPPOSITION LEADERS ATOP VAN OPPOSITION PARTY FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) OPPOSITION LEADER ARSENIY YATSENYUK, SAYING: "We have united the country! We have united the country against this regime, and we have united people to fight for their rights. Against Yanukovich, and for the European Ukraine! These are our mottos!" BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF CROWD KLITSCHKO CHANTING IN UKRAINIAN 'DOWN WITH THE GANG!' BUSES PARKED ALONG STREET IN FRONT OF COURTHOUSE TAPE CORDONING OFF SQUARE IN FRONT OF COURTHOUSE, BUSES IN BACKGROUND COURTHOUSE SIGN THROUGH BUSES BUSES IN FRONT OF COURTHOUSE BLOCKING STREET COURTHOUSE INTERIOR (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN STATE PROSECUTOR MARINA KAPINOS, SAYING: "I want to remind, that we reserve the right to execute our right to initiate delivery of the defendant Tymoshenko to the court hearing at any time." REPORTER TAKING NOTES, THEN KAPINOS LEAVING (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) LAWYER FOR FORMER UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER YULIA TYMOSHENKO SERHIY VLASENKO, SAYING: "We all had an impression, that the issue of political repressions in Ukraine has finally moved from a stand still position, and they started resolving it somehow. But today it is absolutely clear that this is just an illusion. Political repressions in Ukraine continue, nobody is going to stop them. Viktor Yanukovich confirmed it absolutely clearly yesterday by saying that he will not be looking for the ways to resolve the Tymoshenko question." EXTERIOR OF HOSPITAL WHERE TYMOSHENKO IS GETTING TREATMENT POLICE OFFICERS TYMOSHENKO SUPPORTERS SINGING HAND WAVING FROM TYMOSHENKO'S WINDOW SUPPORTERS SHOUTING 'YULIA! WE LOVE YOU!' (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) FORMER UKRAINIAN INTERIOR MINISTER AND TYMOSHENKO ALLY YURI LUTSENKO, SAYING: "As a matter of fact we see brutal deprivation Tymoshenko of her rights, for the only reason, to break her! I've been through this and I know myself what this is. But I know only that they can not break her, and she will remain a free human, and our leader even in this situation." LUTSENKO AND OPPOSITION LEADER GIVING NEWS CONFERENCE SUPPORTERS SURROUNDING GATES OF HOSPITAL
- Embargoed: 27th April 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ukraine
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAATPWRAP4N0ZA17VNSHFTXQTK5
- Story Text: Thousands of Ukrainian opposition activists rallied in Kharkiv on Friday (April 12) on the same day as a Kharkiv court again postponed a new case against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
Tymoshenko, who is serving a seven-year sentence for abuse of office charges, was scheduled to be tried anew in Kharkiv on separate charges of tax evasion and embezzlement dating back to the 1990s when she ran a large gas trading business. But Tymoshenko failed to appear, and the case was postponed until April 23.
On Friday, Kharkiv authorities blocked off the street in front of the courthouse where Tymoshenko was to be tried with busses and taped off huge swaths of the square across from the courthouse in an effort to contain opposition protesters.
But protesters took to the streets anyway, jamming into downtown Kharkiv near the city administration building, waving opposition party flags and chanting slogans against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich.
"We have united the country! We have united the country against this regime, and we have united people to fight for their rights. Against Yanukovich, and for the European Ukraine! These are our mottos!" shouted opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk from atop a van on the street.
Udar party leader Vitaly Klitschko led the crowd in chants of "Down with the Gang!"
Tymoshenok's trial has faced delays for a year, as she has refused to attend proceedings citing medical reasons. Inside of the courthouse, prosecutor Marina Kapinos vowed to bring Tymoshenko to justice.
"I want to remind, that we reserve the right to execute our right to initiate delivery of the defendant Tymoshenko to the court hearing at any time," she said.
Tymoshenko and her allies have called the trial politically motivated by her arch-rival Yanukovich, like, they say, the conviction that put her behind bars.
Tymoshenko's lawyer Serhiy Vlasenko voiced that position in the courthouse.
"We all had an impression, that the issue of political repressions in Ukraine has finally moved from a stand still position, and they started resolving it somehow. But today it is absolutely clear that this is just an illusion. Political repressions in Ukraine continue, nobody is going to stop them. Viktor Yanukovich confirmed it absolutely clearly yesterday by saying that he will not be looking for the ways to resolve the Tymoshenko question," Vlasenko said, referring to hopes in Ukraine and the West that Yanukovich's pardon last weekend of a Tymoshenko ally would soften his stance on her.
That ally, former Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko, visited Tymoshenko in her Kharkiv hospital where she is being treated for chronic back pain.
Amid cries of joy from Tymoshenko supporters who caught a glimpse of a hand in the popular politician's hospital window, Lutsenko praised Tymoshenko's resolve.
"As a matter of fact we see brutal deprivation Tymoshenko of her rights, for the only reason, to break her. I've been through this and I know myself what this is. But I know only that they can not break her, and she will remain a free human, and our leader even in this situation," Lutsenko told reporters.
The former premier was one of the architects of the 2004 Orange Revolution that denied Yanukovich his first bid at the presidency. Her plight and allegations she has been mistreated in prison have soured relations between Ukraine and the European Union and drawn the attention of human rights activists in the West.
Yanukovich has denied the allegations and brushed off claims he is directing her prosecution. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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