KIEV, Ukraine - A Kyiv court has upheld former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's conviction and seven-year jail sentence, condemned as politically motivated by the West.
Tymoshenko was found guilty of abuse of office in October and sentenced to prison for overstepping her authority while negotiating a natural gas contract with Russia in 2009.
The Kyiv Appeals court upheld that decision Friday. Tymoshenko and her lawyers were absent during the court hearing as she is boycotting all legal proceedings in Ukraine, claiming the courts are controlled by the government.
Tymoshenko, the top opposition leader, charges that her prosecution was masterminded by President Viktor Yanukovych in order to bar her from elections.
