Editor’s Note: The following is a joint statement issued late on Aug. 5 2011 by the European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Stefan Füle on the arrest of Yulia Tymoshenko in Ukraine.
Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, and Stefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, made today the following statement:
"We are extremely concerned by reports of today’s events in Pechersk District Court, culminating in the arrest of Yulia Tymoshenko, leader of the Batkivschyna Party.
The EU and other international partners of Ukraine have repeatedly underlined the need for fair, transparent and independent legal processes to avoid any perception of a policy of selective justice.
Today’s events are therefore a cause for concern about the state of the rule of law in Ukraine.
We reiterate previous statements that we and other colleagues have made on the high standards we expect from a country aspiring to political association with the EU. We urge Ukraine to uphold the principles and common values that form the core of the Eastern Partnership.”
