Newly elected Ombudsperson says she “may change her rhetoric” in the Lutsenko case

Valeria Lutkovska (photo Justice Ministry)

Valeria Lutkovska who was voted Human Rights Ombudsperson by 252 MPs during a vote in Parliament has told Channel 5 that she is ready to review her position on the case of former Interior Minister Yury Lutsenko after a more detailed reading of the file material.

“With regard to all events around the Lutsenko case, as in all other cases, I am absolutely free in my statements and assessments, however in order to make these assessments, I need to look into the situation and have access to the material of the case in order to formulate my own point of view”, Ms Lutkovska stated.

“After my election, after I get to grips with the case material, I will be free including in order to change my rhetoric”.

Ms Lutkovska asserted that in no country does the Ombudsperson represent the interests of officials or opposition figures, but defends “the interests of the little person” who is not defended by a large number of lawyers”.

Valeria Lutkovska was Ukrainian Government Representative during the public hearing in the case of Yury Lutsenko v. Ukraine in the European Court of Human Rights on 17 April.

The public hearing can be viewed here: http://echr.coe.int/ECHR/EN/Header/Press/Multimedia/Webcasts+of+public+hearings/webcastEN_media?id=20120417-1&lang=en&flow=high