Prague – The Czech Republic is concerned about the guilty verdict pronounced by Kyiv's Pechersky District Court in the criminal case against former Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko.
A statement posted on the Web site of the Czech Foreign Ministry reads that the trial of Tymoshenko did not meet international standards of a fair, transparent and unbiased court process, and Kyiv’s interpretation of criminal and political responsibility does not coincide with that of the European Union.
"The Czech Republic cannot accept a politically motivated verdict," reads the statement.
The ministry also pointed to the situation with former Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko.
"All Ukrainian politicians, especially those waiting for their verdict, like Lutsenko, should have the right to participate in political processes in Ukraine," according to the ministry’s statement.
The Czech Foreign Ministry stressed that as soon as Ukraine becomes an independent state without political prisoners and with an open pluralistic state system, where the people have the deciding vote, the Czech Republic would be ready to support Ukraine’s integration into the EU.
It was reported earlier that the Pechersky District Court in Kyiv found Ukraine’s ex-prime minister and leader of the Batkivschyna party Yulia Tymoshenko guilty of exceeding her authority while signing gas contracts with Russia and sentenced her to seven years in prison.
