Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk has asked Pechersky District Court Judge Rodion Kireyev, who is considering the Russian gas supply contract case, to change the measure of restraint against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
"Not wanting to influence the court’s decision, I still want to draw your attention to the fact that Tymoshenko is one of the main public and political figures in contemporary Ukraine. Therefore, the use of such a rigid restraint against her causes significant public tension and deepens the existing split," he said in a letter posted on the Web site of the UGCC on Wednesday.
He said that Tymoshenko’s arrest damaged the international image of Ukraine as a state with electoral justice.
"We’re asking you to change the measure of restraint against her to one other than arrest," the archbishop said.
The church leader also wished Kireyev "God’s help in establishing the truth and justice common to all citizens of Ukraine."
