KIEV, June 23 – Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s supporters plan a massive rally Friday in Kiev as a court prepares to begin hearing a case in which she is accused of exceeding authority while negotiating a natural gas deal with Russia in 2009.

The case is the first of three probes currently targeting Tymoshenko and started after she lost the presidential election to her rival Viktor Yanukovych in February 2010.

Viktor Ratushniak, the head of police civil safety department at the Interior Ministry, said Thursday police have been working to secure the normal operation of the court.

“Tomorrow, some political groups have called on the people to come to Kiev and to picket, to block the court,” Ratushniak said. “I want to assure everyone that police will implement all necessary measure to secure normal operation of the court.”

Police has been sending more forces to the downtown Kiev area, and has been also working with opposition activists persuading them to scale down the rally.

Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna party said in a statement that police have erected a fence around the Kiev Pecherskiy district court, which is due to begin hearing the case.

The party also said that the authorities have been making an effort summon up students for a separate rally that would attack Tymoshenko for her alleged Russia gas deal.

Tymoshenko, who repeatedly rejected the investigations as an attempt to crush opposition groups, earlier this week asked the European Court of Human Rights to rule on whether the probes are politically motivated.

The development comes amid rising concerns in Europe and the US that Kiev, which hopes to sign free trade and associate membership agreements with the EU this year, is moving away from democracy under the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych.

Barred by prosecutors from traveling abroad since December 2010, Tymoshenko stands accused in three separate probes that include alleged misspending of funds and exceeding her authority as the prime minister.

Numerous other officials from her previous government have been targeted by similar investigations.

Meanwhile, the Prosecutor General’s Office on Thursday responded with promises that the case against Tymoshenko will be transparent with media allowed to cover it.

“Our position is that all high-profile cases, unless they are confidential, must be heard at an open session,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement.

The court is scheduled on Friday to start hearings on a case related to a 10-year natural gas agreement negotiated and signed with Russia in January 2009.

The authorities alleged that Tymoshenko had failed to secure support of the Cabinet of Ministers before ordering Oleh Dubyna, then Naftogaz Ukrayiny chief, to sign the agreement that set Ukraine’s gas prices too high.

The Prosecutor General’s Office is also wrapping up two other cases involving alleged misspending of Kyoto Protocol funds and purchases of allegedly overpriced ambulances. (tl/ez)