The leaders of Ukrainian Christian churches have called on Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to pardon former Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko.
"The church cannot intrude into state affairs, including judicial processes. At the same time, the church’s duty is to call for forgiveness, mercy, and love for neighbors. We think that pardon of Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko and her liberation from further punishment could be a display of these virtues left by God," reads a letter from church leaders to the president, which was published by BYT-Batkivschyna parliamentary faction MP Volodymyr Yavorivsky at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.
The authors of the letter asked the president to change the procedure of the execution of pardon, which was approved by his decree on Sept. 19, 2010, and entitle the relatives of the accused and other citizens that have relevant public authority and recognition to petition for a pardon for the accused.
Changing this procedure under conditions of there being an imperfect judicial system in Ukraine during the implementation of judicial reform could give the president a chance to correct mistakes of justice, reads the letter.
Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) Filaret (Denysenko), Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), Bishop Markiyan Trofymiak of Roman Catholic Church, Head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Mefodiy (Kudriakov), and representatives of a number of evangelical churches signed the letter.
