US urges release of Tymoshenko and Lutsenko

After several months of fruitless efforts, US Ambassador to Ukraine John Tefft has finally been allowed to meet with former Interior Minister and opposition leader Yury Lutsenko in the Mensk Prison Colony.

Following the meeting, Ambassador Tefft stated that the US Government continued to insist on the early release of the former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and former Interior Minister Yury Lutsenko. He said that he would be reporting on his visit in the near future.

“Our government has repeatedly expressed its concern over the imprisonment of Tymoshenko and Lutsenko and insists on their early release”.

Ambassador Tefit visited Lutsenko on Monday together with the EU Ambassador Jan Tombiński.  He had tried to arrange such a meeting several times.  The opposition asserts that this is because of resistence to the meeting in the top echelons of power.