烏克蘭前總理將出庭受審濫權指控

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko will stand trial in Kyiv on Wednesday, charged with abuse of power.

烏克蘭前總理季莫申科星期三將在基輔就濫用職權指控出庭。

The former prime minister, known as the “Iron Lady,” is accused of abuse of power in connection with a contract she signed with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin after a gas dispute with Russia in early 2009.

這位外號“鐵娘子”的前總理被指控濫用職權。她2009年年初與俄羅斯發生天然氣爭端後，和俄羅斯總理普京簽署了一項合同。她受到的指控與這項合同有關。

Ukrainian officials allege Ms. Tymoshenko caused the former Soviet republic to lose nearly $200 million when she signed the new energy agreement with Mr. Putin after a brief interruption in gas deliveries.

烏克蘭官員指稱，在俄羅斯向烏克蘭短暫中斷輸送天然氣後，季莫申科和普京簽署了新的能源協議，此舉造成烏克蘭損失將近兩億美元。

Ukrainian officials also say Ms. Tymoshenko forced the president of Naftogaz to sign the deal with Russia’s Gazprom.

烏克蘭官員還說，季莫申科強迫烏克蘭天然氣公司(Naftogaz)總裁和俄羅斯的天然氣公司(Gazprom)簽約。

Ms. Tymoshenko says she is innocent and denounced Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych as a rival who fears political competition. She says frame-up trials against her are taking place uninterrupted and will continue until the next parliamentary elections to prevent her from participating in politics and from helping people.

季莫申科說，她是清白的，並譴責烏克蘭總統亞努科維奇是畏懼政治競爭的對手。她說，意圖誣陷她的指控一直沒間斷過，而且還會持續到下次議會選舉，以便阻止她參政和幫助人們。The former prime minister narrowly lost to Mr. Yanukovych in last year’s presidential elections. Ms. Tymoshenko became an international figure in 2004, with her trademark braids, as a leader of the “Orange Revolution.” The street demonstrations effectively ended Mr. Yanukovych’s first bid for the presidency.

這位前總理在去年總統大選中以微少差距輸給了亞努科維奇。季莫申科2004年以桔色革命領導人身份，以及一頭招牌辮子成爲國際知名人物。街頭示威有效地阻止了亞努科維奇首次的總統競選。

Ms. Tymoshenko says Mr. Yanukovych is the instigator of what she called a “crooked” court action that will likely convict her of abuse of power charges.

季莫申科說，亞努科維奇背後策劃了這個她稱爲“不正當”的法律行動。這個法律行動可能會以濫用職權將她定罪。

The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

這項罪名最高可判處十年徒刑。