Statement by Paul Dewar on the situation in Ukraine

New Democrats are deeply concerned with the situation in Ukraine. The politically-motivated persecution and arrest of Ukrainian opposition members, including former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has undermined confidence in Ukraine’s movement toward democracy.

Physical violence against Ms. Tymoshenko is absolutely unacceptable. The mistreatment must end, the perpetrators must be held accountable and the authorities must provide full medical attention to Ms. Tymoshenko. We call on the Ukrainian government to negotiate with Ms. Tymoshenko for a resolution to her hunger strike before her health is further compromised.

Canadians stood in solidarity with the democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people as the Orange Revolution of 2004 unfolded. We continue to support the rights and freedoms of Ukrainian people and call on the government of Ukraine to avoid the politicization of the judicial system, end the mistreatment of prisoners, and ensure the legitimacy of the upcoming elections with full participation by all political parties.

The Government of Canada must communicate its concerns to Ukrainian officials in no uncertain terms. Canada must join the global call for the government of Ukraine to safeguard the principles of fairness, transparency and independence in judicial processes. Canada must strongly request that Yulia Tymoshenko’s constitutional rights are fully respected.

Finally, the government must be clear that negotiations for a Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement cannot be advanced so long as the Ukrainian government refuses to guarantee the protection of human rights, rule of law and democracy in the country.