The Congress of the European People’s Party (EPP) adopted a resolution today on Ukraine demanding that the Ukrainian authorities guarantee Yulia Tymoshenko, Yuriy Lutsenko and Valery Ivashchenko’s fundamental right to health and well-being and that they get the medical care that they need, according to international standards, including allowing an EU medical doctors team to be allowed to examine them, according to the Official web site of Yulia Tymoshenko.

The EPP Congress "deplores the ongoing decline of democratic freedoms, selective justice, as well as the continuing practice of the instrumentalisation of state institutions for partisan purposes and political revenge in Ukraine, which was demonstrated by sentencing the former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko; stresses that strengthening the rule of law and independent judiciary, as well as commencing a credible fight against corruption, are essential not only for the deepening of EU-Ukraine relations but also for the consolidation of democracy in Ukraine," the resolution says.

The EPP Congress recalled that the trial of Yulia Tymoshenko was politically motivated and did not respect international standards, causing the EU to reflect on its policies towards Ukraine; therefore, urging Ukrainian authorities to ascertain a fair, transparent and impartial appeal process for Yulia Tymoshenko and other members of her government facing economic offence charges.

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The EPP Congress also "urged the Verkhovna Rada to review and amend, without hesitation, the criminal code, which was selectively applied against Yulia Tymoshenko, especially Art. 365, and which dates back to the Soviet Penal Code and makes provision for criminal prosecution for political decisions and, therefore, they do not comply with international standards."

The EU politicians also "called on Ukrainian authorities to ascertain achieving a comprehensive reform of the judiciary system in line with EU standards, in order to prevent the selective use of justice and to guarantee an independent, fair, impartial and transparent legal procedure, which will ensure that legal proceedings cannot be used for political purposes and are conducted in strict accordance with the rule of law."

The Congress also warned that no future elections in Ukraine could be regarded as free and fair, if leaders of the opposition, most notably Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuriy Lutsenko, are not released. "Therefore, we demand from Ukrainian authorities the unconditional release of Yulia Tymoshenko, along with other leading members of opposition, their full political rehabilitation, including their right to participate fully in the political process, both as of now and in the forthcoming elections in Ukraine in 2012."