Tymoshenko To Go On Trial For Abuse Of Power

Yulia Tymoshenko greets her supporters during a rally in front of Kyiv district court on June 24.

A judge has ruled that the case concerning former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is to be heard on June 29.

She is charged with abuse of power and could face up to seven years in jail if found guilty.

Judge Rodion Kyriyev made the decision on June 25, the second day of pre-trial hearings related to the high-profile case, which drew protests in Kyiv last week.

Tymoshenko is accused of secretly arranging a 2009 deal between Russia's Gazprom and the state energy firm Naftogaz in order to end a dispute over gas prices.

She denies the charges as politically motivated.

Tymoshenko twice served as Ukraine's prime minister.

She is now an opposition party leader after losing a tight presidential campaign to her bitter rival, President Viktor Yanukovych.

compiled from agency reports