Famous Ukrainian diplomats have appealed to President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych with a request to release opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko from prison, the press service of the Batkivschyna party reported on Friday.

The relevant petition is signed by MP Borys Tarasiuk, who served as foreign minister in 1998-2000 and in 2005-2007; MP Petro Poroshenko, who served as foreign minister in 2009-2010; MP Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, who was deputy foreign minister in 2004-2005; Oleh Bilorus, who was the first ambassador of Ukraine to the United States and the vice president of the OSCE PA, Oleksandr Chaly, who was deputy foreign minister in 2009-2010), Volodymyr Vasylenko, who served as Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1998-2002, and Dmytro Pavlychko, who was Ukraine's ambassador to Poland and the Slovak Republic, the party's press service said.

"Correcting miscarriages of justice is one of the most important powers of the head of state, and an effective constitutional way to restore justice and return legal rights and freedoms to a citizen," the diplomats said.

"The absence of a decision to release Tymoshenko is a testament of undemocratic ways of Ukrainian authorities for the world community and the main obstacle to the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU," the document says.

The diplomats point out that "Tymoshenko's release will mean the end of political repression, the restoration of the rule of law, and the return of Ukraine to the circle of civilized democracies, which will finally allow Ukraine to give life to its historical European choice."