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Ukraine's Tymoshenko expects 'guilty verdict'

© RIA NovostiYulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko - Sputnik International
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Ukrainian ex prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko said at an ongoing trial on Thursday she does not expect to be acquitted.

Ukrainian ex prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko said at an ongoing trial on Thursday she does not expect to be acquitted.

Prosecutors on Tuesday called for a seven-year jail sentence for Tymoshenko on abuse of office charges over a gas deal signed with Russia in 2009. She could face up to 10 years in jail if convicted.

"It's going to be a guilty verdict," she said.

Tymoshenko also thanked her defense team, as well as independent international rights organizations.

She said she would devote her life to making Ukraine a free country.

Tymoshenko's remarks were repeatedly interrupted by applause from her supporters in the courtroom.

Prosecutors also had demanded a ban on Tymoshenko from holding any positions in public office for three years after her release. She should also pay $195 million in damages caused to the country by her 2009 gas deal with Russia, prosecutors said.

Tymoshenko has repeatedly denied all the charges against her, saying they are politically motivated.

The United States and the European Union have urged President Viktor Yanukovych to drop the case.

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