UNM issues statement in support of ex-Ukrainian PM Tymoshenko, jailed on corruption charges
The United National Movement, Georgia’s former ruling party under ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, has issued a statement in support of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Tymoshenko, currently jailed in a high-profile corruption investigation.
Tymoshenko, leader of the Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party, and Saakashvili have long been close allies, particularly when Saakashvili was working in Ukrainian politics after the end of his tenure in office in Georgia.
She served as prime minister on separate occasions under President Viktor Yuschenko, the pro-Western reformer who came to power after the Orange Revolution in 2004, and has unsuccessfully sought the presidency herself several times. Tymoshenko is also known for her distinctive hairstyle.
‘Our Party has a long-standing relationship with Yuliia Tymoshenko, who is a great patriot of Ukraine and a very well-known international figure’, the UNM said on Thursday.
‘We believe that there is a perception that she might be treated unjustly, and we call for a transparent and fair process.
We are confident that she will be vindicated and continue to contribute to the well-being of Ukrainians. Without further hindrance, Ukraine needs her free and Safe [sic]’.
Tymoshenko was arrested earlier in January, and is accused of offering bribes to Ukrainian MPs, including to members of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s Servant of the People party, whom she has long been at odds with.
Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities have said they possess recordings and other forms of evidence that show Tymoshenko had tried to bribe MPs to vote on the dismissal of Zelenskyi’s political allies.
For her part, Tymoshenko has denied the charges, claiming they are ‘absurd’ and politically motivated.
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