{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=098b4cca-efcb-4755-8d30-42fabb029db4", "Resolution Calling For The Release Of Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko Passes Senate", "2013-11-19", "2013", "2013-11", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Rob Portman", "P000449", "www.portman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution calling for the release of Ukraine\u2019s former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko. U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) co-sponsored the resolution in July.\r\nIn 2011, Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison for allegedly abusing her power in the awarding of a natural gas contract. Numerous political and human rights groups have called the charges politically motivated and selectively prosecuted and called for Tymoshenko\u2019s release. Last week the Ukrainian Parliament delayed a vote on a bill that would have secured Tymoshenko\u2019s release.\r\n\u201cAs a new member of the community of democracies, I urge Ukraine to answer the call of the European Court of Human Rights and release Ms. Tymoshenko from prison,\u201d said Portman.\u00a0 \u201cThis will demonstrate to the world Ukraine\u2019s commitment to democracy and the right to disagree with the government without fear of imprisonment. Ukraine has an opportunity to secure a prosperous future through closer economic and political ties to the United States and the European Union, and I support this goal. It would be a shame to see Ukraine\u2019s path forward derailed by the mistaken policies of the past. \u201d\u00a0\u00a0\r\nSince her trial and imprisonment in 2011, numerous human rights groups and government around the world, as well as the European Court of Human Rights, have called the charges politically motivated and called for Ms. Tymoshenko\u2019s release.\r\nThe Parliamentary Assembly Council of Europe passed a resolution in January 2012, declaring that the articles under which Ms. Tymoshenko was convicted were, \u201coverly broad in application and effectively allow for ex post facto criminalization of normal political decision making.\u201d\r\nLater that year, both the European Parliament and the U.S. Senate passed resolutions condemning the sentencing of Ms. Tymoshenko and calling for her release.\r\nIn late April, The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Ms. Tymoshenko\u2019s pre-trial detention was unlawful, 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.\r\nA copy of the resolution, led by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and cosponsored by Senators Barrasso (R-ID), Boozman (R- AR), Boxer (D-CA), Carding (D-MD), Inhofe (R-OK), Menendez (D-NJ), Murphy (D-CT), Rubio (R-FL), Sessions (R-AL) and Shaheen (D-NH) can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=098b4cca-efcb-4755-8d30-42fabb029db4"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5437919646501541, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}