All stress the political motivation behind the trial and sentence of Yury Lutsenko and behind the prosecution of other opposition leaders, and “serious concerns about the Government of Ukraine’s commitment to democracy and rule of law”

"It is unacceptable for former members of the government of a Council of Europe member state to be prosecuted for political reasons. This practice is contrary to the rule of law and takes Ukraine further away the principles of our organisation as well as the European integration to which this country aspires

"We call on the international community to give their political assessment of attempts by the Ukrainian authorities to destroy the independence of the judicial system and allow the use of the justice system for political persecution of leaders of the opposition and civic activists" (Open for endorsement)

We are disappointed with the verdict against Mr Lutsenko which signals the continuation of trials in Ukraine which do not respect international standards as regards fair, transparent and independent legal process.

“The trial against him was unfair, as shown in detail by the observers of the Danish Helsinki Committee. Furthermore, the ‘crimes’ for which he was convicted could not possibly justify a term of imprisonment even if the prosecution had been able to prove all the allegations against him.”

Presiding judge Serhiy Vovk has just announced that the court is sentencing former Internal Affairs Minister and opposition leader, Yury Lutsenko to four years imprisonment following a trial condemned both within Ukraine and by all democratic countries as politically motivated

The journal Ukrainsky tyzhden reports that several law enforcement officers running the cases of Yulia Tymoshenko and Yury Lutsenko have received promotions. An interesting nuance is that almost all of them have been moved to Ivano-Frankivsk (in Western Ukraine).

The former Minister’s suit was dismissed without prejudice only because evidence was not provided within the designated period that the suit had been presented to the respondents

The Danish Helsinki Committee has monitored the prosecution and detention of the former Internal Affairs Minister and states that "whatever sentence is passed in the Lutsenko case, it will not the the result of a fair trial in a legal system respecting the rule of law and basic human rights principles.

The reasons for appointing public hearings into the case of the former Minister of Internal Affairs and leader of the opposition People’s Self-Defence party seem very clear. The case, like that of the former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has been widely condemned as politically motivated

The Association of Ukrainian Human Rights Monitors on Law Enforcement have criticized the call on Tuesday from the Prosecutor for former Minister of Internal Affairs, Yury Lutsenko to receive a lengthy prison sentence.

The trial is coming to an end of former Internal Affairs Minister, Yury Lutsenko who has been in detention now for more than 13 months in a prosecution viewed with concern both in Ukraine and abroad.

The transfer raised questions given that the new charges against the former Prime Minister and opposition leader led to a second – indefinite – detention order supposedly to enable investigative activities by the SBU [Security Service] in Kyiv

Former Acting Defence Minister in Yulia Tymoshenko’s government, Valery Ivashchenko, who has been held in custody for 18 months, is adamant that there are no grounds for holding him in custody or for his prosecution at all

The ruling majority have consistently rejected attempts, encouraged by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the EU and US to change the article which effectively allows heavy sentences for political decisions

KHPG and UHHRU have written to Interpol outlining the reasons for concern over the prosecution and request to detain the former Governor of the Kharkiv region, leader of the Kharkiv branch of the opposition Batkivshchyna Party

Another criminal prosecution of concern to human rights groups has ended after a trial lasting 14 months with the conviction of the head of the Secretariat of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Zair Smedlyaev

A Kyiv court has begun examining the criminal prosecution brought against 7 activists of the protests against the draft Tax Code in autumn 2010. The prosecution is seen by human rights organizations as being politically motivated and aimed at deterring people from engaging in peaceful protest

Arsen Avakov, leader of the Kharkiv regional branch of the opposition Batkivshchyna Party, former Governor of the Kharkiv Region and close rival to Gennady Kernes in the 2010 Mayor election has also been placed on the international wanted list.

On Thursday during the ongoing, though noticeably accelerated trial of the former Internal Affairs Minister, Yury Lutsenko, the court was again asked for the opportunity to read the alleged 50 statements from witnesses whose testimony was simply read out in court