The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has unanimously passed a resolution drafted by U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (Republicans), a member of the Committee, and by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (Democrats), which calls for the unconditional release of political prisoner and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
The resolution condemns the selective and politically motivated
prosecution and imprisonment of Tymoshenko and other Orange Revolution
leaders, reads a statement posted on the Web site of Sen. Inhofe.
According to the document, the Senate calls on the State Department
and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) “to
apply unified multilateral diplomatic pressure on President [of Ukraine
Viktor] Yanukovych to release Tymoshenko.”
In addition, the resolution calls on the State Department to
institute a visa ban against those responsible for the imprisonment and
mistreatment of the Ukrainian ex-premier.
“This resolution sends a strong and unmistakable message to the
Ukrainian government: selective prosecution of political opponents has
no place in the community of democracies. Former Prime Minister Yulia
Tymoshenko should be released immediately,” the Web site quoted Durbin
as saying.
“This resolution adds to the international scrutiny and protests over
the abuses currently taking place in the Ukraine while affirming the
Senate’s unwavering support for Tymoshenko and political prisoners
everywhere,” the statement posted on the Web site reads.
