Yulia Tymoshenko makes video appeal

Jo Adetunji and agencies

Ukraine's jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko has made a video appeal urging voters to help end the country's "criminal" rule.

The video, which was filmed by Tymoshenko's lawyer on Friday, comes ahead of next month's parliamentary elections in which her one-time ally President Viktor Yanukovych is due to stand.

Tymoshenko made her appeal on a mobile phone while in hospital, where she is being treated by German doctors for a herniated disc.

In it, the opposition leader accuses Yanukovych of turning Ukraine into a police state and calls on Ukrainians to vote for her party.

Wearing her trademark blonde braid, Tymoshenko said: "Today, unfortunately, the whole country lives under a criminal authority."

Campaigners for Tymoshenko's release have accused prison staff of physically abusing the former prime minister, who shot to power after the country's Orange revolution.

She was jailed after being found guilty of criminally abusing her office while in power over natural gas import negotiations with Russia in 2009. She denies all the charges and her supporters claim they are politically motivated.

Her imprisonment means she will be unable to contest for the leadership in elections on 28 October. The next presidential election is in 2015.

Concern over her treatment in prison has led to tensions in the EU. In May 2012 Ukraine had to cancel a meeting of regional leaders at Yalta when Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy and 10 other EU countries pulled out in protest. British, German, Austrian and Belgian ministers and officials also boycotted all Euro 2012 football matches held in the country in June.

She has been held under tight security and in April went on a 20-day hunger strike in protest at being allegedly beaten by prison staff. Earlier this year, a video aired on Ukrainian TV of Tymoshenko bedridden in prison and protesting at being filmed went viral on the web.
Guardian