Tymoshenko: The era of dictatorship is over, the era of free country and people is beginning

Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was released from prison in Kharkiv shortly before 17 p.m., and soon after she arrived in Kyiv. Tonight, she addressed the crowd gathered in the central square in Kyiv, where demonstrations have been going on for months.

She told the crowd that they must not give up the fight for a free country and that in the next elections they should vote for those who will not let them down and lie to them.

Ukrainian Interfax reports that immediately after her release from prison, Tymoshenko said:

"My greatest happiness is that I am returning to a completely new Ukraine. The era of dictatorship, crime, confinement and powerlessness is over. A new era begins today, the era of free people, free countries, European states".

In front of the prison hospital, Yulia Tymoshenko was greeted by about 200 people who chanted her name. Everyone greeted the convoy of cars that headed towards the nearby airport, reports the BBC, reports Jutarnji list.

According to information from Kharkiv, Yulia Tymoshenko was accompanied by her daughter Yevgenia and lawyers Sergiy Vlasenko and Andrei Kozhemyakin. On that occasion, she only said briefly: "The dictatorship has fallen!".

Tymoshenko also announced that she will run for president of Ukraine.

Tymoshenko (53) has been in prison since 2011 for abuse of power, related to the signing of an agreement with Russia on the supply of gas, after a trial that the EU judged to be politically motivated.

Certain agencies have reported that Tymoshenko will address the gathered protesters at Independence Square in Kyiv tonight, where protests have been going on for months.

Earlier today, the Ukrainian parliament voted to impeach President Viktor Yanukovych and called early elections for May 25, agencies report.

Decisions made by the parliament are not recognized by President Yanukovych either

Before the debate on Yanukovych, the parliament declared them separatists and ordered the arrest of officials from the east, Mihalio Dobkin, and his supporters, who earlier today challenged the legitimacy of the decisions in Kyiv.

At the same time, Russia Today reports that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "shares concerns with France, Germany and Poland that the opposition cannot fulfill its obligations."

Decisions made by the parliament are not recognized by President Yanukovych either.

All administrative buildings in Kyiv are under the full control of the protesters, and the decisions voted on by the deputies are currently being adopted without the president's signature.

The Parliament of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada, earlier today appointed a new chairman, dismissed the duties of the state prosecutor, appointed a new head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, confirmed the decision to release Yulia Tymoshenko and adopted the decision to return to the 2004 Constitution.

The agreement between the president and the opposition provided for early elections in December, constitutional changes and the formation of a new coalition government, but according to the law, the parliament's decisions had to be signed by the current president.

Tymoshenko released from prison

Former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko was released from prison earlier today. She was released from prison, after the decision on her release was "accelerated" in the parliament.

331 of the 332 deputies present voted for the decision, according to the UNIAN agency.

Despite earlier announcements, the decision was passed without the prior signature of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

Tymoshenko is currently in a hospital in Kharkiv due to back problems.

"According to Ukrainian law, my mother is already a free man," Yulia's daughter Yevgenia Tymoshenko told reporters.

Yulia Tymoshenko's daughter in tears after news of her mother's release, Photo: Twitter/ Mahir Zeynalov

Tymoshenko has been in prison since August 2011.

Turkinov is the new speaker of the parliament of Ukraine

Oleksandr Turchynov, the right-hand man of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko who is still in prison, has been elected as the new Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament.

288 MPs voted for Turčinov, out of a total of 450.

"The authorities of Ukraine continue their work to stabilize the situation in Ukraine," Turchynov said immediately after the vote.

Turčinov will replace Volodymyr Rybak, a close associate of the head of state Viktor Yanukovych, as Speaker of the Parliament. Ribak resigned today.

Yanukovych left for Kharkiv

The President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, left Kyiv and traveled to Kharkiv, and on Independence Square in Kyiv, there are still around 10.000 protesters despite the signing of the agreement.

Today and tomorrow there is a two-day mourning period in Ukraine due to the loss of life in mass conflicts.

"The president is fulfilling his constitutional functions... Today he will speak on television in Kharkiv," said his advisor Gana German.

Yanukovych left Kiev and traveled to Kharkiv, which is considered his political base, an unnamed US official said, as reported by AFP.

Asked to comment on the news that Yanukovych "fled from Kiev" after signing an agreement with the Ukrainian opposition, the US official answered diplomatically.

"We have information, and I spoke with the minister of foreign affairs (of Ukraine) about an hour ago, that President Yanukovych went to Kharkiv... for some meeting that is being held there and that he has now arrived," said that official.

"As you yourself know, it is not unusual for (Yanukovych), having made major political moves, to travel to the east, where his base is located," said the official from Washington.

As stated in Yanukovych's announcement, during the two-day mourning, flags were lowered to half-mast, entertainment programs, sports competitions and television and radio programs were changed.

There are still around 10.000 protesters on Independence Square in Kyiv despite the signing of the agreement with Yanukovych.

Opposition activists have completely taken over the "administrative quarter" in the capital of Ukraine, said one of the leaders of the protests on Independence Square (Maidan Nezlezhnosti) Andrey Parubiy, while the media reports conflicting information that Yanukovych has left Kiev.

Parubij said that the activists of "Self-Defense" and the Right Sector have taken over the security of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament), the Yanukovych administration and the main administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Kyiv, the UNN agency reported.

So far, there is no official confirmation of the allegations by the Kyiv militia or the city administration, but Yanukovych's representative in the assembly, Yury Miroshnichenko, told the Fifth Channel of Ukrainian TV that the policemen began to withdraw in accordance with the corresponding decision of the assembly.

The member of the Rada from the opposition party Otadžbina (Batkivščina) states that the police officers were told that "everyone can go over to the side of the Maidan" and that "Self-Defense" is ready to "patrol" together with them.

On Friday, opposition leaders signed an agreement with Yanukovych to resolve the crisis, which includes a return to the 2004 constitution - which reduces presidential powers, forms a government of national unity, and holds early presidential elections by the end of this year..

Klitschko: Presidential elections until May 25

The opposition demands the removal of President Yanukovych and the calling of extraordinary presidential elections by May 25, said opposition leader Vitalij Klitschko.

"We demand that presidential elections be held by May 25. Parliament should vote on a resolution demanding that Yanukovych resign," Klitschko said.

The opposition leader also told parliamentarians that Yanukovych had left Kyiv.

Channel 5 journalists entered the president's residence in the suburbs of Kyiv without any problems, and the protesters are about 50 meters from the entrance to the presidency in the center of the city.

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