Kramer: Human Rights situation likely to worsen before 2015 elections

In an interview to the Ukrainian Service of Voice of America, Freedom House’s Executive Director David Kramer warns that Yanukovych is running out of time to resolve the situation with Yulia Tymoshenko’s imprisonment. Kramer, who was previously a high-ranking US State Department official, believes that by dragging out the situation, Kyiv is risking fiasco at the Vilnius Summit.

He says that at this stage everything depends on President Yanukovych and he hopes that the latter won’t make a mistake.  He’s come too close, but time is running out. “If he thinks that the EU will back down and will sign the agreement regardless of whether he resolves the situation with Tymoshenko, I think he’s making a mistake. After all, after Vilnius Ukraine will begin preparing for the 2015 presidential elections, and I think that the situation with democracy and human rights will only worsen since Yanukovych will go all out to remain in power”.

Kramer hopes that Yanukovych will make it possible for the agreement to be signed. He believes that the charges against the former Prime Minister should be revoked.