Brussels – The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has expressed serious concern about the trial of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and the verdict, sentencing her to a seven-year prison term and a three-year ban on holding office, as well as the ongoing trials of other Ukrainian public figures, and the perception of selective and politically motivated justice, the Council of Europe has said in a statement obtained by Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.
The committee asked Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland to bring its concerns to the attention of the Ukrainian authorities, and asked him also to pursue his dialog with the authorities "on ways of developing an independent judiciary and implementing a legislative framework in line with Council of Europe standards."
"A recently adopted Action Plan for Ukraine, including the provision of Council of Europe expertise, could provide the framework for intensifying efforts to strengthen the functioning of democratic institutions and the rule of law in Ukraine," reads the statement.
