UK Government boycott Euro 2012 over Ukraine's human rights record

By Andrew Warshaw

June 8 – The British Government has joined the Europe-wide condemnation of Ukraine’s human rights record by announcing it will snub the group phase of the 2012 European Championship because of the “selective justice” meted out to jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

Germany, Holland and Austria have already threatened to stay away from the tournament being jointly hosted with Poland, but the decision by the United Kingdom to boycott England’s group matches represents a damaging blow to Ukraine’s efforts to showcase its development as a forward-thinking democratic country.

Tymoshenko (supporters pictured above and below) played a key role in the Orange Revolution in 2004 and her imprisonment, for alleged corruption, is widely viewed as an act of political revenge by Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych.

She was jailed for seven years in October for abuse of power during her time as Prime Minister.

Last week Tymoshenko ended a 20-day hunger strike and is now being treated by a German doctor.

The Foreign Office announced that no officials would attend England’s three group games, starting on Monday (June 11), and that, if England advanced further, the situation was “under review in the light of Ministers’ busy schedules ahead of the Olympics and widespread concerns about selective justice and the rule of law in Ukraine”.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said Ukraine had “serious problems” and the Government did not want its backing for the England team to be interpreted as “giving political support to some things which have been happening in Ukraine which we don’t agree with”.

The UK decision came on the eve of the opening day of the tournament and was the worst possible public relations blow for UEFA and the joint organisers who have been at pains to downplay months of adverse publicity.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Voloshin reacted by saying the boycott would only damage football and would not affect Tymoshenko’s case.

And in London, Ukraine’s most senior senior diplomat Volodymr Khandogiy told the BBC: “It is their free choice not to go but they should see the issue in the context that this is not about a Ukrainian championship.

“They are not going to an international championship and they are not supporting their team.”

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734868216labto1734868216ofdlr1734868216owedi1734868216sni@w1734868216ahsra1734868216w.wer1734868216dna1734868216