President of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress Jim Slattery has called on the Ukrainian authorities to release former Prime Minister and Batkivschyna Party leader Yulia Tymoshenko, reads a statement posted on the Web site of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko (BYT) on Tuesday.
"I call on the current authorities in Ukraine to release Yulia Tymoshenko and return to compliance with the constitution and laws," he said at a briefing in Kyiv’s Court of Appeal, which is considering the lawsuit lodged by Tymoshenko against the verdict in the Russian gas supply case.
Slattery, who was a six-time member of the U.S. Congress, said that in 2004, he visited Ukraine several times to monitor the elections.
"In 2004, I was here with the hope for democracy and freedom in your country. Now I am very concerned by what I have seen, and by the fact that Ukraine is not adhering to the rule of law," he said.
Slattery called on the Ukrainian people not to lose hope and continue to fight for democracy and freedom.
"I urge you not to give up, not to lose hope, and continue to fight for democracy in your country," he said.
