III 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 165 

Calling for the release from prison of former Prime Minister of Ukraine 

Yulia Tymoshenko in light of the recent European Court of Human 

Rights ruling. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 10, 2013 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BARRASSO, and Mr. 

MURPHY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Calling for the release from prison of former Prime Minister 

of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko in light of the recent 

European Court of Human Rights ruling. 

Whereas, in August 1991, the Ukrainian Parliament declared 

independence from the Soviet Union and approved decrees to mint its own currency and take command of all 

Soviet military units on its soil; 

Whereas, in December 1991, 90 percent of Ukrainians voted 

in a referendum to support independence from the Soviet 

Union; 

Whereas Ukraine has experienced increased economic and political cooperation with Europe and the United States 

since its independence from the Soviet Union; 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 165 IS 

Whereas, in 1996, Ukraine adopted its first democratic constitution that included basic freedoms of speech, assembly, religion, and press; 

Whereas, in 2004, Ukrainians organized a series of historic 

protests, strikes, and sit-ins known as the ‘‘Orange Revolution’’ to protest electoral fraud in the 2004 presidential 

election; 

Whereas Yulia Tymoshenko was a leader of the Orange Revolution and was first elected as Prime Minister in 2005; 

Whereas, in the 2010 presidential election, incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko won only 5.5 percent in the first 

round of voting, which left former Prime Minister Viktor 

Yanukovich and then Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko 

to face one another in a run-off election; 

Whereas Mr. Yanukovich defeated Ms. Tymoshenko by a 

margin of 49 percent to 44 percent; 

Whereas, on October 11, 2011, Ms. Tymoshenko was found 

guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison on charges 

that she abused her position as Prime Minister in connection with a Russian natural gas contract; 

Whereas, on January 26, 2012, the Parliamentary Assembly 

Council of Europe (PACE) passed a resolution (1862) 

that declared that the articles under which Ms. 

Tymoshenko was convicted were ‘‘overly broad in application and effectively allow for ex post facto criminalization 

of normal political decision making’’; 

Whereas, on May 30, 2012, the European Parliament passed 

a resolution (C153/21) deploring the sentencing of Ms. 

Tymoshenko; 

Whereas, on September 22, 2012, the United States Senate 

passed a resolution (S. Res. 466, 112th Congress) that 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 165 IS 

condemned the selective and politically motivated prosecution and imprisonment of Yulia Tymoshenko, called 

for her release, and called on the Department of State to 

institute a visa ban against those responsible for the imprisonment of Ms. Tymoshenko and the other political 

leaders associated with the 2004 Orange Revolution; 

Whereas, on April 7, 2013, President of Ukraine Viktor 

Yanukovich pardoned former interior minister Yuri 

Lutsenko and several other opposition figures allied with 

Ms. Tymoshenko; 

Whereas, on April 30, 2013, the European Court of Human 

Rights, which settles cases of rights abuses after plaintiffs have exhausted appeals in their home country 

courts, ruled that Ms. Tymoshenko’s pre-trial detention 

had been arbitrary; that the lawfulness of her detention 

had not been properly reviewed; that her right to liberty 

had been restricted; and, that she had no possibility to 

seek compensation for her unlawful deprivation of liberty; 

Whereas, on April 30, 2013, Department of State Spokesman 

Patrick Ventrell reiterated the United States call that 

Ms. Tymoshenko ‘‘be released and that the practice of selective prosecution end immediately’’ in light of the European Court of Human Rights decision; 

Whereas Ukraine hopes to sign an association agreement 

with the European Union during the Eastern Partnership 

Summit in November 2013; and 

Whereas, after the European Court of Human Rights ruling, 

European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs 

chairman Elmar Brok stated that ‘‘Ukraine is still miles 

away from fulfilling European standards’’ and must ‘‘end 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 165 IS 

its selective justice’’ before signing the association agreement: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) calls on the Government of Ukraine to re3 lease former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko from 

4 imprisonment in light of the April 2013 European 

5 Court of Human Rights verdict; 

6 (2) calls on the European Union members to in7 clude the release of Ms. Tymoshenko from imprison8 ment as an important criterion for signing an asso9 ciation agreement with Ukraine at the upcoming 

10 Eastern Partnership Summit in Lithuania; 

11 (3) expresses its belief and hope that Ukraine’s 

12 future rests with stronger ties to Europe, the United 

13 States, and others in the community of democracies; 

14 and 

15 (4) expresses its concern and disappointment 

16 that the continued selective and politically motivated 

17 imprisonment of former Prime Minister Yulia 

18 Tymoshenko unnecessarily detracts from Ukraine’s 

19 otherwise strong relationship with Europe, the 

20 United States, and the community of democracies. 

Æ 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS