Chairman of the BYT-Batkivschyna parliamentary faction Andriy Kozhemiakin said this after a meeting with Tymoshenko in the Kachanivska penal colony, according to the press service of the party.
He also said that a court sitting would be held on Tuesday in Italy to decide on the issue of the extradition of Avakov to Ukraine. Kozhemiakin will participate in the sitting as an official representative of the Batkivschyna Party.
The politician said that the political council of the party entitled him to pass official letters from the Batkivschyna Party and the BYT-Batkivschyna parliamentary faction to the Italian government with a request not to extradite Avakov to Ukraine, as he is being persecuted for his political activity.
"The letters read that Arsen Avakov did not commit any crimes. He was put on a wanted list only because of his oppositional activity and steady political position. This is why the authorities want to return him, so as to carry out another political punishment of an opponent," Kozhemiakin said.
On Tuesday, March 27, reports of Avakov’s detention in Italy were confirmed. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said that it was preparing a package of documents for Avakov’s extradition to Ukraine. In this regard, the leadership of the Batkivschyna Party sent letters to the Interpol secretary general and the Italian government with a request to take into account "the obvious political motivation" behind Avakov’s criminal prosecution, and release him.
On March 29, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said that the judicial authorities in Italy had decided to place Avakov in custody for 40 days.
On Jan. 31, charges were brought against Avakov under Part 3, Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Avakov headed Kharkiv Regional State Administration from February 2004 until February 2010. He chairs the Kharkiv regional organization of the Batkivschyna Party.
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