Brussels, 04/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 3 April, the Euronest parliamentary assembly spoke out against the imprisonment of the former prime minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko.
In a resolution, the assembly calls on the Ukrainian authorities to ascertain a “fair, transparent and impartial” appeal process for Tymoshenko, the former home affairs minister Yuri Lutsenko, and other members of the opposition. “We are sending a signal to the Ukrainian authorities that [their] treatment is unacceptable”, said Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (EPP). The resolution also calls for the revision of the Ukrainian criminal code and access to appropriate medical care.
The fact that the Euronest members of the eastern States take the view that “the current development in Ukraine is very serious” is a “major breakthrough”, stressed Gunnar Hökmark (EPP). “Prosecution of opposition figures raises doubts on the level of democracy in Ukraine, also among Eastern Europeans”, he added. (CG/transl.fl)