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Crowds hail Ukraine ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko Crowds hail Ukraine ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko
(35 minutes later)
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been hailed by thousands of opposition supporters in Independence Square in the heart of Kiev after being freed from prison. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been hailed by thousands of opposition supporters in Independence Square in the heart of Kiev after being freed from detention.
She addressed the crowds there from her wheelchair. She has suffered from a back injury and addressed them from her wheelchair.
"You are heroes, you are the best of Ukraine," she told the vast crowd before breaking down in tears."You are heroes, you are the best of Ukraine," she told the vast crowd before breaking down in tears.
She was speaking after President Viktor Yanukovych had left the capital Kiev and MPs voted to impeach him. She was speaking after President Viktor Yanukovych had left the capital Kiev and MPs voted to remove him.
But she warned that the protesters should not think their job was done. "Until you finish this job and until we travel all the way, nobody has the right to leave," she said. "Because nobody could do it - not other countries, nobody - could do what you have done. We've eliminated this cancer, this tumour." But she warned that the protesters should not think their job was done.
But while she received large cheers from many in the audience, she does not enjoy universal support amongst the opposition, says the BBC's David Stern in Kiev. "Until you finish this job and until we travel all the way, nobody has the right to leave," she said. "Because nobody could do it - not other countries, nobody - could do what you have done. We've eliminated this cancer, this tumour."
Before she went into prison, her popularity ratings were dropping and many Ukrainians blame her in part for the chaos of the post-Orange Revolution years, or see her as a member of Ukraine's corrupt political elite. But while she received large cheers from many in the audience, she does not enjoy universal support among the opposition, says the BBC's David Stern in Kiev.
The BBC's Tim Wilcox in Independence Square, reports that dozens of people he could see, walked away in disgust when she appeared on the stage, shouting that she did not represent them. Before she went into prison, her popularity ratings were dropping and many Ukrainians blame her in part for the chaos of the post-Orange Revolution years, or see her as a member of Ukraine's corrupt elite.
Ms Tymoshenko was freed following a vote by parliament on Friday demanding her release. Dozens of people walked away in disgust when she appeared on the stage, shouting that she did not represent them, the BBC's Tim Wilcox in Independence Square reports.
Tymoshenko was freed following a vote by parliament on Friday paving the way for her release.
She was sentenced to seven years in jail in 2011 after a controversial verdict on her actions as prime minister.She was sentenced to seven years in jail in 2011 after a controversial verdict on her actions as prime minister.
Earlier on Saturday, she left the hospital in the eastern city of Kharkiv, where she had been held under prison guard, and flew to Kiev.Earlier on Saturday, she left the hospital in the eastern city of Kharkiv, where she had been held under prison guard, and flew to Kiev.
She told journalists at Kiev airport that those behind violence "must be punished", the Interfax agency reports.She told journalists at Kiev airport that those behind violence "must be punished", the Interfax agency reports.
On Thursday, the bloodiest day of recent unrest, at least 21 protesters and one policeman died.On Thursday, the bloodiest day of recent unrest, at least 21 protesters and one policeman died.
Ukraine's parliament voted on Saturday to remove President Viktor Yanukovich and set an early election for 25 May, completing a radical transformation in the former Soviet republic of 46 million people. Ukraine's parliament voted on Saturday to remove President Viktor Yanukovych and hold a presidential election on 25 May, completing a radical transformation in the former Soviet republic.
The vote came after police stopped guarding presidential buildings, allowing protesters in, and parliament made new high-level appointments. The parliamentary vote came after police stopped guarding presidential buildings, allowing protesters in, and parliament made new high-level appointments.
Mr Yanukovych said it was a "coup" and vowed not to stand down. Mr Yanukovych said events in Kiev were a "coup" and vowed not to stand down.
He compared the actions of the opposition to the rise to power of the Nazis in 1930s Germany and claimed MPs from his party had been "beaten, pelted with stones and intimidated".
The opposition is now in effective control of the capital Kiev, with Mr Yanukovych in Kharkiv, near the Russian border, after travelling there late on Friday night.The opposition is now in effective control of the capital Kiev, with Mr Yanukovych in Kharkiv, near the Russian border, after travelling there late on Friday night.
The Interfax news agency reported parliament speaker Oleksandr Turchynov as saying Mr Yanukovych had been stopped by border police in an attempt to flee to Russia and was now somewhere in the Donetsk region.The Interfax news agency reported parliament speaker Oleksandr Turchynov as saying Mr Yanukovych had been stopped by border police in an attempt to flee to Russia and was now somewhere in the Donetsk region.
Earlier on Saturday, protesters walked unchallenged into the president's office and residential compounds.
Fiery oratorFiery orator
Ms Tymoshenko's release has always been a key demand of the protest movement. Tymoshenko's release has been a key demand of the protest movement.
The glamorous, fiery orator who helped lead the Orange Revolution - Ukraine's revolt against a controversial election in 2004 - was convicted of criminally exceeding her powers when she agreed a gas deal with Russia which was seen to have disadvantaged Ukraine.The glamorous, fiery orator who helped lead the Orange Revolution - Ukraine's revolt against a controversial election in 2004 - was convicted of criminally exceeding her powers when she agreed a gas deal with Russia which was seen to have disadvantaged Ukraine.
She has always insisted the charges were untrue, inspired by Mr Yanukovych, the man she helped oust in 2004 who returned to defeat her in the 2010 presidential election.She has always insisted the charges were untrue, inspired by Mr Yanukovych, the man she helped oust in 2004 who returned to defeat her in the 2010 presidential election.
The European Union had demanded her release as one of the conditions of the EU-Ukraine trade pact that President Yanukovych rejected last year - triggering the protests that led to the current crisis.The European Union had demanded her release as one of the conditions of the EU-Ukraine trade pact that President Yanukovych rejected last year - triggering the protests that led to the current crisis.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed Ms Tymoshenko's release. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed Tymoshenko's release.
In April 2013 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that her pre-trial detention had been "arbitrary and unlawful", though the judges did not rule on the legality of her actual conviction for the 2009 gas deal.In April 2013 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that her pre-trial detention had been "arbitrary and unlawful", though the judges did not rule on the legality of her actual conviction for the 2009 gas deal.
They did not explicitly support her claim that her detention was politically motivated, nor did they accept her allegations of physical maltreatment and medical neglect in prison.They did not explicitly support her claim that her detention was politically motivated, nor did they accept her allegations of physical maltreatment and medical neglect in prison.
A pact signed on Friday by Mr Yanukovych and opposition leaders now seems to have been overtaken by events.
The deal followed several days of violence in which dozens of people died in a police crackdown on months of protest. It called for the restoration of the 2004 constitution and the formation of a national unity government.
The agreement failed to end the protests overnight with huge crowds remaining in the Maidan on Saturday calling for Mr Yanukovych's resignation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the deal had been "sharply degraded by opposition forces' inability or lack of desire" to respect it and accused "illegal extremist groups" of taking control of Kiev, Reuters reports.
The protests first erupted in late November when President Yanukovych rejected a landmark association and trade deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia.