Ukraine's friends in the West reacted with elation and hope at the news that President Viktor Yanukovych pardoned ex-Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko and freed him from prison on April 7.
But those friends have already indicated that it was not going
to be enough for Ukraine to sign an association agreement with the
European Union in November.
President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz welcomed Lutsenko’s release “as a positive sign,” but said more moves are needed.“Fair
and independent justice is needed in Ukraine and the release of Mr
Lutsenko is a step in the right direction. It follows an earlier release
of former Defence Minister Valeriy Ivashchenko last August. Our efforts
to improve the conditions and address the case of Yulia Tymoshenko who
is still held by Ukrainian authorities continue,” Schultz said in a
statement.
The agreement would cement Ukraine’s
European choice, but to sign it progress is needed in the case of imprisoned ex-Prime Minister Yulia
Tymoshenko, Yanukovych’s top political rival.
Tymoshenko
suffers from spinal hernia, a painful back condition, and is undergoing
treatment in a Kharkiv hospital under the supervision of German
doctors.Thorbjørn
Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe, said that he now
expected Ukraine to follow the decision of the European Court for Human
Rights in Tymoshenko’s case, and offered Ukrainian authorities
assistance and expertise to reform the justice system. The court’s decision is expected to be released this month.
The
news of Lutsenko’s release is expected to be the centerpiece of the
report in the European Parliament by former Polish President Alexander
Kwasniweski and former EU President Pat Cox, which is due on April 18.
The duo had 14 missions to Ukraine recently to push for the release of
top political prisoners.
Their
appeal to President Yanukovych was cited by his press service as one
of the contributing factors in the president’s decision to pardon
Lutsenko. Ukraine’s Ombudswoman for Human Rights Valeriya Lutkovska also
appealed to president asking him to pardon Lutsenko on humanitarian and
health grounds.
A
senior European diplomat in Kyiv, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity because of sensitivity of the issue, said that the West is
“happy but not satisfied” with the release of Lutsenko. Yanukovych is
now expected to deal with the issue of Tymoshenko, and one option would
be to allow her to go to Germany for treatment.
“Otherwise, I really don’t see the association agreement (being) signed,” the diplomat said.
Lutsenko
was released by a presidential decree along with five other prisoners,
including former Environment Minister Heorhiy Filipchuk.He has already
said he would take part in street politics, but his allies have said he
would need up to a half-year to recover. He spent 833 days in prison,
his lawyer said. He is said to be suffering from cirrhosis, hepatitis, hypertension and other illnesses.
Kyiv Post editor Katya Gorchinskaya can be reached at [email protected].
