June 17, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS CALLS UPON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE PRESSURE ON UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES
TO ENSURE FULL COMPLIANCE WITH FUNDAMENTAL DEMOCRATIC VALUES
In a letter dated June 17, 2011, the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) called upon the international community to significantly increase pressure on Ukrainian government authorities to ensure that: (i) they do not undermine such fundamental values as human rights, democracy, and free and fair elections; and that (ii) Ukraine fulfills its international commitments and complies with the terms of the European Parliament resolution of 9 June 2011 on Ukraine: the cases of Yulia Tymoshenko and other members of the former government.
As previously raised by the UWC in letters sent on January 12, 2011, the UWC reiterated its grave concern about the continuing prosecutions of political opponents in Ukraine and stated that the ongoing attempts to ban Yulia Tymoshenko from travelling are aimed at undermining the Ukrainian opposition in the run-up to the next Parliamentary elections.
In its appeal, the UWC made specific reference to the European Parliament resolution of 9 June 2011 on Ukraine: the cases of Yulia Tymoshenko and other members of the former governmentto the effect that the European Parliament:
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Stresses the importance of ensuring the utmost transparency in investigations, prosecutions and trials, and warns against any use of criminal law as a tool to achieve political ends; -
Is concerned about the increase in selective prosecution of figures from the political opposition in Ukraine as well as the disproportionality of measures applied, particularly in the cases of Ms Tymoshenko and Mr Lutsenko, former Interior Minister, and notes that Mr Lutsenko has been in custody since 26 December 2010; expresses its support for the Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner, Nina Karpachova, who has asked the Ukrainian Prosecutor General to consider the possibility of applying preventive measures that do not involve detention; -
Reminds the Ukrainian authorities that the principle of collective responsibility for the decisions of the government does not permit the prosecution of individual members of the government for decisions that were taken collegially; -
Stresses that ongoing investigations of prominent Ukrainian political leaders should not preclude them from actively participating in the political life of the country, meeting voters and travelling to international meetings; calls, therefore, on the Ukrainian authorities to lift the travel ban, both domestically and internationally, on Yulia Tymoshenko and other key political figures; -
Underlines the fact that strengthening of the rule of law and a credible fight against corruption are essential not only for the conclusion of the Association Agreement and the deepening of EU‑Ukraine relations in general, but also for the consolidation of democracy in Ukraine; […].
Taking into account Ukraine’s representation of Europe as Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe until November 2011, co-host of EURO 2012, and Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2013, the UWC stressed the need to ensure that Ukraine complies with the terms of the European Parliament resolution of 9 June 2011 on Ukraine: the cases of Yulia Tymoshenko and other members of the former government.
Copies of the aforementioned letter were sent by the UWC to President Viktor Yanukovych and to Nina Karpachova, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.
“The Ukrainian World Congress urges Ukrainian government authorities to comply with their international commitments and to refrain from using criminal law as a means to achieving political ends,” stated Ukrainian World Congress President Eugene Czolij.
