Former Ukrainian PM Tymoshenko jailed for seven years

Former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been found guilty of abuse of office and jailed for seven years in a case widely condemned in the West as politically motivated.

She was convicted in a Ukrainian court of violating legal procedures during the signing of a natural gas import contract with Russia in 2009.

Ms Tymoshenko dismisses the trial as a government attempt to bar her from upcoming elections and as persecution by her arch-foe President Viltor Yanukovych.