The Ukrainian Weekly 2012, No.3

www.ukrweekly.com Part 1 of THE YEAR IN REVIEW pages 5-14 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXX No. 3 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 $1/$2 in Ukraine Tymoshenko’s husband granted asylum in the Czech Republic RFE/RL victed in October 2011 and was recently transferred to a penal colony in the eastern The husband of Ukraine’s jailed former city of Kharkiv. Supporters say the charges Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been were politically motivated and accuse pris- granted asylum in the Czech Republic. on officials of subjecting the former prime Czech Interior Ministry spokesman minister to ill treatment. Pavel Novak confirmed that the asylum Prosecutors are preparing to level addi- request of 51-year-old Oleksander tional charges against Ms. Tymoshenko Tymoshenko had been approved. tied to alleged financial crimes committed The Reuters news agency cited an while she was head of Ukraine’s state unnamed Czech government official as say- power company in the 1990s. ing Mr. Tymoshenko had made his asylum Her husband was charged but not con- request at the end of 2011. victed of financial misdeeds in relation to Mr. Tymoshenko’s application follows a the case in 2000, prompting speculation similar case last year, in which the Czech that Ukrainian officials may have been Republic granted asylum to Bohdan seeking to level fresh charges against him Danylyshyn, who served as Ukraine’s econ- in order to ratchet up pressure against the omy minister in the Tymoshenko Cabinet. Tymoshenko clan. The move led to a chill in ties between According to a statement issued on Prague and Kyiv and prompted a flurry of January 6 by Ms. Tymoshenko’s Batkivschyna diplomatic expulsions by both sides. political party, Mr. Tymoshenko’s asylum Czech Foreign Minister Karel request was a result of “increasing pressure Viktor Pobedinsky/UNIAN Schwarzenberg told Czech Radio he hoped on the opposition leader through her family.” Oleksander and Yulia Tymoshenko in photo from a press conference held on May 8, 2002. a decision on the Tymoshenko case would “Yanukovych has taken a dirty path, not provoke fresh animosity. seeking to break Yulia Tymoshenko Mr. Tymoshenko’s current business inter- of those who want to reverse my efforts to “Some regimes react that way. As we through pressure on members of her fami- ests include a stake in a Czech-based firm, protect my mother at a time when her life know,” he said, “there was one case of an ly,” the statement reads. “The decision to International Industrial Projects, based in and health are in jeopardy,” she said. “My action we were aware of and approved, and seek political asylum is prompted by the the northern city of Usti nad Labem. only goal is to protect my mother in the Ukraine had a fit about it for some time. desire to deprive the regime of additional The couple has a daughter, Yevhenia Carr, ways I have at my disposal right now.” That’s true.” leverage against the leader of the who has been very active in her mother’s case. Mr. Tymoshenko’s request came as his Fatherland party.” Pro-government analysts have suggested Written by Daisy Sindelar, with agency wife, the two-time prime minister of Unlike his charismatic, publicity-savvy that Ms. Carr may seek to head the reports. Ukraine and the figurehead of its 2004 wife, Mr. Tymoshenko has remained largely Fatherland party list when Ukraine holds Copyright 2012, RFE/RL Inc. Reprinted Orange Revolution, began serving the first out of the limelight during their 32-year parliamentary elections in October. But Ms. with the permission of Radio Free Europe/ several months of a seven-year sentence marriage. He was a constant presence at Carr told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service that she Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, for abuse of office. Ms. Tymoshenko’s trial last year but does has no intention of taking on a political role. Washington DC 20036 (see http://www.rferl. Ms. Tymoshenko, a bitter enemy of cur- not give interviews or comment publicly on “Any suggestion that I’m planning to org/content/tymoshenko_husband_asylum_ rent President Viktor Yanukovych, was con- his wife’s political career. stand for election is provocation on the part czech_republic/24443712.html). Yanukovych decree eliminates holiday marking Orange Revolution by Zenon Zawada “The initiator isn’t Yanukovych, but a Special to The Ukrainian Weekly group in the government with roots in Moscow aiming to destroy Ukraine as a KYIV – President Viktor Yanukovych sovereign nation with a history descended issued a presidential decree on December from Kyiv-Rus’. They want to show that we 30 eliminating the Freedom Day national don’t exist and erase us.” holiday introduced by his predecessor, Besides erasing distinctions between Viktor Yushchenko, to commemorate the the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces, start on November 22 of the Orange the presidential decree is the latest step in Revolution in 2004. an ongoing campaign by the Yanukovych He combined the holiday with Unity administration to eliminate the memory of Day, celebrated on January 22 which now the Orange Revolution and to stave off becomes Unity and Freedom Day. The such revolts in the future, observers said. decree also created Ukrainian Black Sea “The president’s decree is a litmus test Fleet Day on the last Sunday of July to for society,” said Vitalii Bala, director of the coincide with the Russian Federation’s Kyiv-based Agency for Modeling Situations. Black Sea Fleet Day, which is marked on “We will see whether there’ll be protests that day. after the holidays, or whether the people “All is being done to tear Ukraine from Vladimir Gontar/UNIAN will swallow this.” its historical roots and forget its genealogy Police form a ring around Andrii Parubyi, an outspoken opposition deputy in the Much to the government’s frustration so that we live based on a tabula rasa,” said Verkhovna Rada, to limit his movement during the Freedom Day protest on Independence Freedom Day became a powerful opposition Square on November 22, 2011, the seventh anniversary of the Orange Revolution. That Dr. Oleh Soskin, director of the Institute of national holiday has now been combined with Unity Day (January 22). Society Transformation in Kyiv. (Continued on page 15) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 No. 3 ANALYSIS Granted asylum, Tymoshenko’s husband Tigipko on cooperation with IMF signing a gas deal with Russia in 2009. Ms. Tymoshenko had been in a pre-trial deten- KYIV – If a consensus is reached during tion center in Kyiv since August 5, 2011. On calls on world leaders to protect wife gas talks with Russia, Ukraine will resume December 30 she was transferred to the cooperation with the International European countries to impose sanctions Kachanivska penal colony in Kharkiv. On RFE/RL Monetary Fund, Vice-Prime Minister for against the authorities and their families, in January 4, her supporters set up two tents PRAGUE – Oleksander Tymoshenko, the particular the sons of Yanukovych, the top Social Policy Sergey Tigipko said during a representing the Batkivschyna Party near husband of imprisoned former Ukrainian authorities in the Prosecutor General’s Office, briefing at the Cabinet of Ministers on the penal colony. (Interfax-Ukraine) Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has the SBU [Security Service of Ukraine], judges January 11. “As for our cooperation [with the called on world leaders to protect his wife and investigators who facilitated the falsifica- IMF], the negotiations with Russia on gas are Two charged for laser-beamed slogan from what he says are the government’s tion of Yulia Tymoshenko’s case,” he said. delayed. We managed to introduce at the KYIV – Two persons were charged with efforts to “destroy” her. “World leaders have to finally understand end of the year new legislation on bankrupt- unauthorized use of laser beam equipment In one of his first interviews since being that Yanukovych and democracy are mutual- cy, which was important to the IMF; this granted asylum in the Czech Republic on ly exclusive notions,” he added. “A twice-con- week two more bills will be considered, for projecting a slogan onto a building and January 6, Mr. Tymoshenko told RFE/RL’s victed former criminal is forming a totalitari- which have also been worked on together stele in central Kyiv demanding the release Ukrainian Service that the government of an regime in Ukraine.” with IMF experts. Only tariffs will remain. As of former Prime Minister Yulia President Viktor Yanukovych “does not Mr. Tymoshenko, who, like his wife, is 51, you know, we have differing positions. We Tymoshenko, who was convicted in late need Yulia Tymoshenko alive.” told RFE/RL that he sought asylum in part are in talks with Russia and would like to 2011 of exceeding her powers by orches- “Now they try to physically destroy her because he believed that leaving Ukraine reduce the prices [of gas]. If this is done, trating a natural gas deal that was allegedly by not providing her with qualified medical would deprive the government of a way to nothing will prevent resuming cooperation damaging to Ukraine. The slogan “Freedom care. Even during such a big holiday as pressure his wife. for Yulia” appeared on the building of the Christmas, they continue to spread lies that with the IMF,” Mr. Tigipko explained. Ukraine “I was forced to leave Ukraine and ask for could not agree with the International philharmonic society and the indepen- they give her medical examinations,” he political asylum in the Czech Republic dence stele in central Kyiv during a New said.

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