Ukraine: EPP supports request for pardon of Yulia Tymoshenko and demands her release

The Vice President of the European People's Party (EPP) in charge of the Eastern Neighbourhood, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, MEP, expressed today his full support to the request submitted yesterday by European Parliament's envoys Pat Cox and Aleksander Kwasniewski to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich to pardon without further delay jailed opposition leader, former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko.

Tymoshenko, the leader of EPP member party Batkivshchyna, has been held as a political prisoner since October 2011:

“On behalf of EPP, I fully support the request of the European Parliament's envoys that was submitted yesterday to the Ukrainian President, to pardon ex-prime minister and leader of the opposition Yulia Tymoshenko.

In the framework of this request, the EPP respectfully acknowledges Ms. Tymoshenko's agreement to go to Germany for medical treatment, which she urgently needs. It is now up to President Yanukovych to resolve the outstanding issue of selective justice.

The European Union, the international community, and the Ukrainian people are expecting the immediate resolution of this matter, which will influence the fate of Ukraine.

The fulfillment of the requirements, criteria and benchmarks, set by the European Union on 12 December 2012 for the signing of the Association Agreement with Ukraine, is within reach. But time is now out.

European Parliament will take stock on Ukraine's Association requirements on 15 October (Cox-Kwasniewski report) and on 23rd October (my EP resolution on ENP-East progress reports). If Yulia Tymoshenko is not released by then, the requirements and preconditions for the Association Agreement (AA) will not be met and the European Union will not sign the AA at Vilnius EaP Summit.

Can Ukraine afford to lose this opportunity and to undermine its own free European choice? Russia's pressure during recent times has clearly demonstrated that sovereign and independant Ukraine needs the solidarity of a strong and reliable European partner, based on shared values.

I urge President Yanukovych to rise to the historical moment and to demonstrate wisdom and statesmanship for his country.”

The EPP is the largest and most influential European-level political party of the centre-right, which currently includes 74 member-parties from 40 countries, the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, 13 EU and 5 non-EU heads of state and government, 13 members of the European Commission and the largest Group in the European Parliament.