The European People's Party (EPP) has rejected a bill providing an opportunity for prisoners to be treated abroad with a suspended sentence (the so-called "prison holidays") as it does not resolve the situation with former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and the problem of selective justice.
“It does not resolve the problem. Postponing the term of punishment is not fulfilling the requirement with respect to selective justice,” EPP Vice President Jacek Saryusz-Wolski told Interfax-Ukraine after the party’s summit in Brussels on Thursday.
In addition, this bill is also unacceptable to the EPP due to the fact that “it looks that they want to make us accomplices in a crime,” Deputy Chairman of the Batkivschyna Party Hryhoriy Nemyria said, citing current EPP President Joseph Daul.
“During the discussion, the sides raised the question of a draft law, which was called ‘prison holidays’ and some of the speakers, including current EPP President Joseph Daul, said that it looks that they want to make us accomplices in a crime. This is unacceptable, and we cannot become participants in politically motivated justice,” he said.
As reported, two bills on the treatment of prisoners abroad, authored by independent lawmakers Serhiy Mischenko and Anzhelika Labunska, have been registered in the Ukrainian parliament.
In addition, the leaders of three opposition faction, Arseniy Yatseniuk, Vitali Klitschko and Oleh Tiahnybok, tabled in parliament their own bill banning selective justice and removing of obstacles to the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. It contains provisions on the release of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and the cancellation of her criminal record.
