Ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's speech to the Ukrainian people, recorded before her arrest on Aug. 5 on contempt-of-court charges:
Good evening everyone. I am addressing you having just received information that Yanukovych has given orders to arrest me.
Today I have every chance of obtaining political asylum in any country and protecting my life, my freedom, being happy with my family. But I’m not going to run from Ukraine. And I have good reason for this.
Firstly, I didn’t violate the law. I lived and worked for you. I don’t own any factories, power plants, lands, mineral resources or government estates privatized in my favor. I made sure everything the country has served you, not thieves in politics. I didn’t break the law trying to act justly. And therefore I have no reason to run from my native land.
Secondly, I won’t hide anywhere. I worked in politics for the last 10 years and know very well the price politicians and fighters for the people pay. Everything has been bought, sold and resold. You have almost no one to lean on in your times of trouble. So with all the power and life I have I will defend you and Ukraine, and will do so as you allow me.
The final and most important reason why the self-preservation instinct and fear in my case doesn’t work is that in all these years of independent, Ukraine has never been in as much trouble as it is now. Ukrainian families have never been worse off. Never before has Ukraine had its soul snatched so cruelly, the future of its children taken away. Today I am still free, but tomorrow I will be behind bars. Knowing what lies ahead of me, I know that I will return to you even stronger.
There are judges higher than the ones that sold out to Yanukovych. There is the European court, that will prove my legal rightness. There is the court of the Ukrainian people that will prove my political rightness. And there is God’s court, where neither the government nor money will protect those who today are committing injustice.
Rest assured that they will never break me. I will not betray you – the 11 million people that believed in me in the presidential elections. I will not betray those who voted for Yanukovych because I also feel responsible to them for the country.
I ask everyone that’s able to fight, to rally around those who stood strong before the government’s gingerbread and whips.
No matter where I am – free or in jail – I feel strong enough to survive all their planned tests and together with you will put our country back on the path to prosperity, fairness, a strong national spirit and dignity.
Glory to Ukraine! And see you soon, because justice lives if you fight for it!
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