LOC20:50
17:50 GMT
MOSCOW, Aug 5 (KUNA) -- The former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia
Tymoshenko was detained on Friday during her trial on charges of disrupting
courtroom order, the Russian news agency, the Interfax, reported.
Prosecutors ordered that the ex-prime minister be escorted to prison for
defying judicial procedures and insulting the judges during the proceedings in
the case against her, based on charges of illegally forcing the state energy
company, Naftogaz, to sign a gas contract with Russia in 2009.
Tymoshenko, who had served as prime minister, has accused the authorities
of politicizing the prosecution and clamping down on the opposition party.
She was reportedly escorted from the courthouse after Judge Rodion Kireyev
approved a state prosecutor's motion to take her into custody over "systemic
violations" of rules.
Tymoshenko, who twice served as prime minister between 2005 and 2010, says
the case against her is politically motivated and has been fabricated. (end)
as.rk
KUNA 052050 Aug 11NNNN