Tymoshenko Supporters Mark First Anniversary Of Her Detention

Her supporters have been calling for Tymoshenko's release

Supporters of Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine's former premier turned opposition leader, marked the first anniversary of her imprisonment on August 5 with protests calling for her release.

A 20-meter long banner with the words "Yulia - Freedom" was unfurled from a bridge across the Dnieper River in the capital Kyiv.

Protests are also expected to take place in Kharkiv, the northeastern city where the reportedly ill Tymoshenko is being held.

Tymoshenko, who served as prime minister from January to September 2005 and again from 2007-2010, was taken into custody on August 5, 2011, convicted on charges of abuse of office, and sentenced in October to a seven-year jail term.
Based on reporting by dpa and Interfax