You're reading: Germany ombudsman: Ukraine needs judicial independence, fair elections for rapprochement with EU

BERLIN - Ukraine must observe the rule of law and ensure the independence of the judiciary in order to get closer to the European Union, German Government Commissioner for Human Rights Markus Loening said on Tuesday.

He added that the holding of fair parliamentary elections in October
is also a prerequisite to Ukraine’s rapprochement with the EU.

The ombudsman said that Germany was still concerned about the
possible political motivation of the case against former Ukrainian Prime
Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

“We expect the authorities of Ukraine to hold a proper trial and guarantee its independence,” Loening said.

“Together with our EU partners, we will closely monitor Tymoshenko’s
trial and the development of the situation in Ukraine as a whole,”
Loening said.