More than 9.6 housand Poles have so far signed the Tymoshenko appeal (updated figure)

The appeal written by Chief Editor Adam Michnik, himself a former political prisoner, calling for the release of Yulia Tymoshenko and other political prisoners, has been signed by Andrzej Waida, Tadeusz Mazowiecki and a number of other prominent Polish figures. 

Ukrainians must hear that Poland is on the side of Ukraine’s freedom and not on the side of those who are trampling that freedom,

Some of those voices:

Tadeusz Mazowiecki, former Prime Minister:

“I don’t know whether civic pressure will have any impact on the actions of President Yanukovych. I believe notheless that in this matter both political and civic pressure are needed. I signed the appeal because I think that Yulia Tymoshenko should be freed. You must not mix criminal and political cases. It is ever more clear that Yanukovych’s actions are about ordinary political revenge”.

Marcel Łoziński, film director and screenwriter

I am adding my name to the appeal, whereas a boycott of Euro 2012 would be absurd, would hit at Ukrainians and further separate this nation from Europe. An economic boycott also doesn’t make sense since it would hurt the people, and not Yanukovych. … What makes sense is international pressure. Yanukovych may do nothing, but it’s important for Ukrainians who have become to protest, have come out onto the street, and that is new. They are demonstrating more “against” than “for” at the moment. They’re calling for the release of Tymoshenko, but also expressing their protest at the authoritarian methods of the Ukrainian regime. We should support them and give them added belief, these may be simple things, banal, yet there are situations when those banal truths need to be repeated.

Jan Ołdakowski, Director of the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising

I like the idea of this civic appeal. It’s a good idea to tell Ukraine that it is bad practice to imprison former prime ministers. At the same time you can’t close Ukraine’s door to Europe. The actions of the Ukrainian authorities with respect to Tymoshenko are bad, but on the other hand we have put too much effort into pulling Ukraine into the Western orbit to risk destroying what we’ve managed up till now to do.

The appeal can be read at the link below under the title of this report.

We would also politely remind anybody who hasn’t done so, that our appeal against political persecution and the destruction of rule of law in Ukraine Zero Tolerance for Political Persecution in Ukraine can be found at http://khpg.org/en/1325325198 If you haven’t signed it and would like to, please write to [email protected]

If you’re not sure (!), the list of signatories can be found at http://khpg.org/en/1325325198  and http://blogs.telekritika.ua/?id=2710&