Strasbourg, 24/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 24 May, the European Parliament called on Ukraine “immediately and unconditionally” to release all prisoners condemned on political grounds. In a common resolution that they adopted, MEPs urged Kiev “immediately” to guarantee respect for the rights of political prisoners, as well as full respect for the legal and human rights of both the accused and prisoners.
The Parliament reaffirms its concerns about the judicial proceedings against former and current high government officials and highlights the need for European standards of fairness, impartiality, transparency and independence. MEPs expressed their concerns on the subject of the instrumentalising of state institutions for political ends and exacting political vengeance. They also call on the authorities to distinguish between political and criminal responsibilities.
They therefore condemn the new politically motivated cases against the former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and members of her government, and urge the Ukrainian authorities to “establish an independent and impartial international legal panel to report on possible violations of fundamental rights and freedoms in the cases of Yulia Tymoshenko and other members of her government”.
They deplore Tymoshenko's sentencing and the postponed ruling on the cassation appeal in her case, and call on the Ukrainian authorities to “guarantee the impartiality and transparency” of the cassation process in her case. MEPs condemn the violence against her in prison but note with satisfaction her transfer to hospital. MEPs also welcome the progress made during the meeting between their president, Martin Schulz, and the Ukrainian prime minister, Mykola Azarov, on the subject of Tymoshenko's medical treatment and they call for judicial scrutiny by an authoritative and competent EU personality of the appeal and cassation processes and future trials she may have to undergo.
MEPs point out “the critical importance of free, fair and transparent parliamentary elections” in October, including the right of the opposition leadership to take part, and want the European Parliament to participate, in its own right, in an international election observation mission to observe the next elections.
The Parliament also urges European politicians who want to attend the Euro 2012 football championship in Ukraine “either to make their awareness of the political situation in the country publicly clear and to seek opportunities to visit political detainees in prison, or to attend the matches in their private capacity and not as VIPs”. (CG/transl.fl)