WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — The U.S. State Department on Monday voiced its concerns over the arrest of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, appealing for her «immediate release.»
At a regular briefing, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that Tymoshenko’s arrest «raises questions about the application of the rule of law in Ukraine and continues to contribute to the appearance of politically motivated prosecutions by the government.»
Toner said that the U.S. called for the review of Tymoshenko’s «incarceration» and her «immediate release.»
He added that the U.S. has made its concerns known to the government of Ukraine and will continue to «closely monitor» the legal proceedings against Tymoshenko, as well as other Ukrainian opposition figures.
Tymoshenko was arrested on Friday due to disruption of court procedure. The Ukrainian prosecution accused Tymoshenko of abusing her power by signing a natural gas contract with Russia in 2009, and consequently causing a loss of 190 million U.S. dollars to Ukraine.
Source: news.xinhuanet.com