The Czech Republic has granted political asylum to a former Ukrainian economy minister wanted at home over suspected abuse of office, the Czech Interior Ministry said on Thursday. Bohdan Danylyshyn, economy minister in 2007-2010 and an ally of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, was detained in Prague in October.
He is the highest-ranking official of Ukraine’s previous government to face criminal charges since Tymoshenko’s long-time opponent, Viktor Yanukovich, beat her in a tight presidential race in January last year.
Tymoshenko has said she and her allies were the victims of a political witch-hunt by Yanukovich, who she says is trying to neutralise her as a political force.
The Czech Interior Ministry said Danylyshyn was granted asylum but declined to give any details.
"I can confirm he was given asylum," said spokesman Pavel Novak. "We never comment (further) on concrete individuals in the asylum proceedings."
Ukraine issued a warrant for Danylyshyn in August after he left Ukraine. He denies any wrongdoing.
Former Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko said in November that Danylyshyn was under investigation over accusations of abuse of office and theft, and has suggested that the action had been ordered by the new leadership. Two other senior officials in the last government, the former head of customs and the former acting chief executive of state energy firm Naftogaz, were detained last year in what Tymoshenko has described as "political repression".
