You're reading: Prosecutors could prevent Tymoshenko ally from going to Europe during Yanukovych visit

Ukrainian prosecutors have called a close confidant of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko in for questioning in an apparent attempt to prevent him from visiting Europe next week for talks with European Union officials.

Hryhory Nemyria, a former deputy prime minister and close confidant of Tymoshenko, said he hopes to visit Strasbourg and Brussels next week to represent the Ukrainian political opposition during a June 21 visit to the Parliamentary Assembly of Europe by President Viktor Yanukovych.

Nemyria hopes to inform European Union leaders about alleged political persecution back home being waged against Tymoshenko’s political camp. His plans were to represent Tymoshenko, who is banned from travel outside of Kyiv in connection with investigations thatare seen by many, including the U.S. and European Union, as politically motivated.

But on June 17, it appeared that Nemyria’s plans to visit Europe in place of Tymoshenko could be derailed by Ukraine’s General Prosecutor’s office. According to documents obtained by the Kyiv Post, prosecutors on June 17 ordered Nemyria to arrive for a round of interrogation on June 20.

Seen by Tymoshenko allies as an attempt to hush up the opposition in Ukraine, the development comeshours after prosecutors rejected an appeal by Tymoshenko to make a brief visit to Brussels and Strasbourg next week.

After months of interrogations, prosecutors on June 17 filed a case against Tymoshenko in court accusing her of exceeding authority while prime minister in 2009 by approving a natural gas supply agreement with Russia. This is one of three cases against her.