Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko accused prosecutors on Thursday of trying to stifle her political activity by demanding she spend every day in their offices reading the criminal case against her.
Former Prime Minister Tymoshenko, 50, was charged in December with misuse of state funds and was ordered not to leave Kiev. She has rejected the accusations, saying she is being targeted for her opposition to President Viktor Yanukovych, who became president after beating Tymoshenko in a runoff vote a year ago.
"They want me to be here [in the prosecutor's office] from 10 in the morning to 5 in the evening to study these absurdities and provide explanations about nonexistent crimes," Tymoshenko told reporters as she left the prosecutor's office on Thursday.
"The current government wants to restrict all my efforts at strengthening political activity," she said.
The authorities deny Tymoshenko's claims and prosecutors say she is trying to delay the criminal process. Her criminal case comprises 17 volumes, of which the former "princess of the orange revolution" has read only 28 pages.
Under Ukrainian law, people under criminal investigation are not allowed to run for public office.
KIEV, January 13 (RIA Novosti)
