U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed this week that the United States demands immediate and unconditional release of jailed former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
A statement from the Batkivschyna Party cited Clinton as saying in a letter to Tymoshenko in connection with the first anniversary on October 11 of the ex-premier’s conviction that the United States’ position remains unchanged, namely that Tymoshenko and members of her government who have also been convicted must be released immediately and unconditionally.
Clinton called the convictions politically motivated. She said the United States remains alarmed about the criminal action against Tymoshenko and her imprisonment and that she had brought up the matter with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and other Ukrainian leaders.
The secretary said she was closely monitoring developments in the Tymoshenko case and that, for that reason, she had been pleased to personally receive an update from Tymoshenko’s daughter, Yevhenia, when the latter visited Washington.
The United States supports democratic initiatives in Ukrainian society and is following preparations for parliamentary elections in Ukraine on October 28, Clinton said.
She said her visits to Ukraine had convinced her that the Ukrainians want modern democracy. She promised that the United States would help Ukraine in the latter’s democratic development.
Tymoshenko was convicted of abuse of office by orchestrating a natural gas deal with Russia in 2009 that is alleged to be damaging to Ukraine. She later came under a new round of criminal proceedings, being accused of crimes committed during her tenure as head of the United Energy Systems of Ukraine Corporation.
