Washington (CNN) Former ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was ousted from her post by President Donald Trump, said the diplomats and officials who provided testimony in the House impeachment inquiry did so because it is the "American way to speak up about wrongdoing."

A career diplomat, Yovanovitch was recalled from her post in Kiev in May 2019 after allies of the President mounted a targeted campaign against her. She served as a witness in the House impeachment inquiry, testifying publicly in November as Trump attacked her on Twitter.

"I have seen dictatorships around the world, where blind obedience is the norm and truth-tellers are threatened with punishment or death. We must not allow the United States to become a country where standing up to our government is a dangerous act," Yovanovitch wrote in a Washington Post op-ed published Thursday, a day after Trump was acquitted by the Senate.

She wrote that it was "shocking to experience the storm of criticism, lies and malicious conspiracies" against her before and after her public testimony.

"But I have no regrets," she added.

Read More