Tymoshenko declares civil disobedience action
KHARKIV. Jan 9 (Interfax) - Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has refused to go to a court, talk with investigators, and return to her hospital room as a sign of civil disobedience.
"In order to lessen the fear of your regime in society and in order to say once again that you are humiliating and destroying Ukraine, I am declaring my personal civil disobedience action. This right of mine is guaranteed by Part 5 of Article 55 of the Ukrainian constitution. Today, this is the only right of mine that I can exercise," Tymoshenko said in an open letter to President Viktor Yanukovych, whose text was made public on Tuesday by Tymoshenko's defender Serhiy Vlasenko.
Tymoshenko insisted that, during Yanukovych's presidency, Ukraine has almost lost the chance to become a European country. She said she is sure that most Ukrainians will find their own way to express civil disobedience.
"I am sure that most Ukrainians will not resign themselves to humiliation you are subjecting our citizens to. Everyone will find their own form of civil disobedience and insubordination that is available to them," Tymoshenko said.