Oleksandr Tymoshenko, husband of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, doubts that after she is released from prison Yulia Tymoshenko will leave Ukraine, according to the Official web site of Yulia Tymoshenko.
“Many families would probably do that, but not the family of a politician like Yulia Tymoshenko,” Oleksandr Tymoshenko said in an interview with Channel 5.
Oleksandr Tymoshenko said he is unable to visit Ukraine. “I will be able to return to Ukraine only after a change in government. Honestly, I would return to Ukraine right now, but I will 100% be arrested as soon as I arrive,” he said.
“By being in the Czech Republic I can at least somehow politically defend the interests of Yulia and other political prisoners in Ukraine,” he said.
He added that the decision for him to seek political asylum in the Czech Republic was made during a family meeting. “The decision was made in order to not give the authorities additional ways to pressure Yulia. Never in my life did I think I’d be a refugee – political or not – I would have never imagined this,” he said.
Oleksandr Tymoshenko was granted political asylum by the Czech Ministry of Internal Affairs on January 6, 2012.
