Brussels, 29/08/2012 (Agence Europe) - Michael Mann, the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, said on Wednesday 29 August that the EU notes with regret “the outcome of the review by Ukraine's Higher Specialised Court for Civil and Criminal Cases” which confirmed the same day the sentence of seven years in prison for the former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, rejecting her further appeal. Mann said that they were disappointed with the consequences of the current situation, with several leaders of the opposition not being able to stand for parliamentary elections following trials that did not respect the internationally recognised standards on transparency and the right of defence.
Mann said that concrete measures must be adopted to assure the independence of the judiciary, and to forbid partial justice like that to which Tymoshenko, amongst others, has fallen victim, in order to avoid a recurrence of these situations. He also said that the EU will continue to follow the situation closely. Kiev has a clear European vocation, he went on, adding that the “current problems” don't help good relations or work between Kiev and Brussels.
The day before this decision, the European Court of Human Rights began its examination of the case. Tymoshenko was sentenced to prison in October 2011 for abuse of power because of signing a gas agreement with Moscow, which was considered to be negative for her country, while she was prime minister. Her sentence has chilled relations between Ukraine and the EU, leaving the signing of their association agreement in the air. (CG/transl.fl)