( CNN ) -- Ukraine 's high court rejected an appeal Wednesday by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko , who had challenged her conviction on charges of abuse of authority . She is serving a seven-year prison sentence after she was found guilty of the charges in October . A Ukrainian court said she signed overpriced gas contracts with Russia . The gas deals inflicted damages to the country amounting to more than 1.5 billion hryvnias ( almost $ 185 million at the current exchange rate ) , the court said , ruling she must repay the money . `` I am disappointed to hear that Yuliya Tymoshenko 's final domestic appeal against her October 2011 conviction has been turned down , '' David Lidington , British foreign office minister for Europe , said Wednesday . `` The UK will continue to press Ukraine to end selective justice and to ensure that the opposition is able to participate fully in free and fair parliamentary elections in October . '' Amnesty International slammed the verdict as `` politically motivated '' and called for the release of Tymoshenko , who was prime minister from January to September 2005 , and December 2007 to March 2010 . At the time , U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also called for her release and that of other members of her government `` and the restoration of their full civil and political rights . '' State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Wednesday Washington was `` disappointed by this decision '' to reject Tymoshenko 's appeal and urged the Ukraine government to let her go . In April , Tymoshenko went on a three-week hunger strike to draw attention to `` violence and lack of rights '' in her country after she said she was beaten unconscious in prison . The prosecutor said his office investigated her claim of abuse and found no proof to substantiate her allegations , but European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in April that the Ukrainian Ombudsperson 's Office confirmed the report . EU : Ukraine 's Tymoshenko beaten in prison . Ashton called on Ukraine `` to examine promptly and impartially any complaints of torture or other forms of cruel , inhuman or degrading treatment . '' Clinton also expressed concern over her treatment , saying in May that photos released by the Ombudsperson 's Office `` further call into question the conditions of her confinement . '' CNN 's Alla Eshchenko contributed to this report .
US : The U.S. State Department says it 's disappointed by the ruling . Yulia ##kova 's sentence remains at seven years . She is found guilty of signing natural gas contracts with Russia . She was on a three - day hunger strike in late April and early May .