President Explains Why Tymoshenko Cannot Be Pardoned Now

According to the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), who participated in the 2.5 hour long meeting between Ukraine’s president and heads of churches on April 10, Viktor Yanukovych told the hierarchs that their request to pardon Yulia Tymoshenko and Viktor Lutsenko may be granted only upon the completion of all the trials. 

“As far as we understood, Viktor Yanukovych considered it useful to respond personally instead of writing any letter,” said the head of the UGCC.

According to the hierarch, “many ideas” were ventilated during the meeting. Patriarch Sviatoslav’s impressions of the meeting were formulated as follows: “Firstly, Viktor Yanukovych took our letter into consideration very seriously. Secondly, he explained the process of elaborating the new Criminal Code and steps taken by him to ensure fair justice in Ukraine and protection of human rights.  

“The president said that we, those who solicited for pardoning Yulia Tymoshenko, are participants of the process. Therefore, we hope that we will be kept informed of the status of our request.”

As he addressed the president, Patriarch Sviatoslav explained that the letter of the heads of churches was not a form of demanding but a request and it concerned not only one person but the whole procedure of pardoning. The head of the UGCC stressed that during the transition period changes in the Criminal Code, the notion of mercy is very important. Therefore, the churches wanted to have their say about the importance of mercy and, consequently, pardoning.

“In our letter, we appealed to the president as the guarantor to ensure fair justice, especially in the transition period until the laws of Ukraine are brought in line with the Criminal Code,” said Patriarch Sviatoslav, reported the Information Department of the UGCC.