Kyiv spat with Prague unlikely to help efforts to integrate with the European Union.
Stung by Western criticism of his commitment to democratic principles, President Viktor Yanukovych and his allies went on the attack this week, slamming the Czech Republic for its decision to grant political asylum to a former government minister accused of abuse of office.
Kyiv’s sharp reaction comes as relations with the European Union look increasingly strained, after Brussels censured the Ukrainian authorities for their apparent desire to jail opposition politicians, and raised concerns about the erosion of democratic freedoms.
Prague earlier this month rejected Ukraine’s request to extradite Bohdan Danylyshyn, who served as economy minister in the previous government of Yulia Tymoshenko, on charges of causing Hr 14 million losses to the state during a tender.
Instead, he was freed and offered asylum in a move widely seen as an indictment of what the Ukrainian authorities call a crackdown on corruption.
Former Economic Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn, who won political asylyum in the Czech Republic, dances on Independence Square on Oct. 24, 2009. (UNIAN)
This crackdown has seen the detention or investigation of at least 12 officials from Tymoshenko’s government, including the opposition leader herself. Tymoshenko claims the moves are political persecution aimed at wiping out opposition. The United States and the European Union have in recent weeks raised concerns that investigations appear politically motivated. The authorities deny this.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Thomas Melia told reporters in Brussels Jan. 19 that the Czech government’s decision should be seen as a signal showing how the EU and the international community views these processes, Interfax-Ukraine reported.
After Danylyshyn was granted asylum in Prague, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a note to the Czech Republic asking to provide a copy of the official decision. Prague refused, citing the International Convention on the Status of Refugees, signed by both countries, which prevents countries from making asylum decisions public because of the right to privacy.
The Czechs did everything perfectly according to the correct procedures.”
– A senior European diplomat in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian authorities have now hit back, barely concealing their fury at the decision. Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko said Danylyshyn had chosen the Czech Republic as it was an easy place to get asylum. Yanukovych said the case against Danylyshyn couldn’t be political because he wasn’t a politician.
“The Czechs did everything perfectly according to the correct procedures,” said one senior European diplomat in Kyiv, adding that Europe was unimpressed by the Ukrainian authorities’ posturing.
But on Jan. 29 the Wall Street Journal published an interview with Yanukovych in which he appeared to go further, complaining “about the Czech Republic’s decision to grant political asylum to an economic minister for the previous administration who is accused of abuse of power, suggesting the protection was bought.”
Vit Kolar, a spokesman for the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs said these allegations were “unfair and baseless.”
“It is either necessary to bring some proof about such allegations or remain silent,” he said. He added, however, that ties between Prague and Kyiv would not be harmed.
Viorel Ursu, a senior policy officer at the Open Society institute in Brussels, said the Czech decision to offer asylum made things “complicated,” as it indirectly meant Prague recognizes that political persecution is happening in Ukraine.
“The attempts by the Ukrainian authorities to argue with the decision are aimed for internal consumption,” he added, as the government attempts to save face by arguing it was right.
The most likely scenario would be a slowing down of negotiations on the association agreement with Ukraine.”
– Amanda Paul, a policy analyst at the Brussels-based at the European Policy Center.
The spat comes amid increasing Western disquiet about Ukraine’s commitment to reforms to secure deeper European integration. Negotiations of an association agreement and visa-free travel for Ukrainians to the 27-nation bloc are proceeding slowly.
European diplomats in Kyiv say the government has got a lot to do to convince Brussels it is committed to pushing through the overhauls needed to achieve its avowed aim of closer European integration.
A senior European diplomat in Kyiv said he “does not see any definite signals from the Yanukovych administration that Ukraine is actually moving toward Europe.”
Amanda Paul, a policy analyst at the Brussels-based at the European Policy Center, said the EU would be unlikely to take any drastic steps, such as calling off talks on the visa-free regime.
She said, however, that it could respond if the impression of selective justice became clearer.
“The most likely scenario would be a slowing down of negotiations on the association agreement with Ukraine,” Paul said.
Kyiv Post staff writer Yuriy Onyshkiv can be reached at onyshkiv@kyivpost.com.
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