“I wouldn't go so far as to imply that Tymoshenko is a political prisoner. There is no equivalency between Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Yulia Tymoshenko. She is not a prisoner of conscience; nor she is a politically persecuted dissident. I would describe her as a political rival of President Yanukovych and his entourage, who was "neutralized" as a possible threat in terms of being on the winning side in the struggle for public opinion. She is a victim and a hostage of selective justice, but she is not a political prisoner in the sense we apply this term to Russian and Chinese political prisoners,” commented Leonidas Donskis, MEP to The Ukrainian Week
“This is bad news for Ukraine. It is a wake-up call for President Yanukovych and also for the political elite of the country. One way or another, Tymoshenko will be free. Let us face it: it is better for autorities to act and free her instead of waiting for the sanctions,” adds Donskis
To the question whether the European Court's decision affect the Association Agreement signing process Leonidas Donskis responded “I am keeping my fingers crossed to avoid this worst-case scenario. The government has to act, to liberate Tymoshenko, and to close this page of an unfortunate story which damaged the political reputation of present Ukrainian authorities. I appeal to common sense and benevolence of all of my colleagues in Ukraine who wish well to their country: no reason to keep this story going. Tymoshenko has to be set free, and the whole story has to be admitted as a mistake. There we will have zero ground, and we will be able to proceed with top priorities of Ukraine and its EU friends – namely, the Association Agreement.”
