Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 February 2014
73. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current position regarding to efforts to achieve the release of Yulia Tymoshenko; the extent to which violations of her human rights have been established and addressed; if the international community has done enough by way of support of her position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8589/14]
View answerI am on record expressing concern over the ongoing detention of the former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko and refer the Deputy to my statement to the Dáil of 2 October last. I have raised the matter in bilateral meetings with the then Prime Minister of Ukraine, Mykola Azarov and Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara.
The judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on 30 April 2013, which ruled that Ms Tymoshenko had been unlawfully detained, reinforced the concerns expressed repeatedly by Ireland and its EU partners over her situation. As the Deputy is aware, High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Stefan Füle issued a joint statement in response to the Court’s judgment, which urged the Ukrainian authorities to reconsider Ms Tymoshenko’s imprisonment and to implement fully all rulings of the ECHR. My full support for this statement is already on record.
The EU’s position is as set out in the Conclusions of the 10 December 2012 Foreign Affairs Council and in the joint statement of the EU-Ukraine Summit of 25 February 2013: that Ukraine must address convincingly three key areas including the issue of selective justice. A positive step on Ms Tymoshenko’s imprisonment would be extremely helpful and send a powerful signal in that regard.
The European Parliament’s monitoring mission to Ukraine, which was led by the former President of Poland, Aleksander Kwaœniewski, and the former President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, engaged actively with the Ukrainian authorities on the issue of selective justice in Ukraine, including Ms Tymoshenko’s case. The mission met with her in hospital in Kharkiv frequently during the course of their mission and, in October 2013, called on President Yanukovych to release her for medical treatment on health and humanitarian grounds by way of pardon.
Regrettably, a Presidential pardon has not been forthcoming nor was the Ukrainian parliament able to reach agreement on a draft law that would permit Ms Tymoshenko to leave Ukraine for medical treatment. The unfolding crisis in Ukraine since November may also have affected early prospects for progress. While many protestors have called for her release, the ongoing tense political situation may perhaps have overshadowed Ms Tymoshenko’s particular case.
Nevertheless, together with our EU partners, Ireland will continue to press for progress in addressing the issue of selective justice – including the individual case of Ms Tymoshenko – in our bilateral and multilateral contacts with Ukraine.
