INSIDE: l Valery Khoroshkovsky named finance minister – page 3 l Generation Uke – page 9 l UCRDC launches online video oral history project – page 15 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXX No. 6 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012 $1/$2 in Ukraine Freedom House report notes Tymoshenko’s daughter appeals “troubling backslide” in Ukraine to U.S. Senators in Washington Freedom House WASHINGTON – The political uprisings that have swept the Arab world over the past year represent the most significant challenge to authoritarian rule since the collapse of Soviet communism, according to “Freedom in the World 2012,” the latest edition of Freedom House’s annual global survey of political rights and civil liberties. Yet even as the Arab Spring triggered unprecedented progress in some countries, it also provoked a harsh and sometimes murderous reaction, with many leaders scrambling to suppress real or potential threats to their rule. The repercussions of this backlash have been felt across the Yaro Bihun Middle East, as well as in China, Eurasia and Africa. Yevhenia Tymoshenko Carr, testifying before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs in Washington on February 1 about her imprisoned A total of 26 countries registered net mother, former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko. declines in 2011, and only 12 showed over- all improvement, marking the sixth consec- by Yaro Bihun Former Internal Affairs minister Yurii utive year in which countries with declines Special to The Ukrainian Weekly Lutsenko has been in prison for more than a outnumbered those with improvements. year supposedly for hiring a driver “past the While the Middle East and North Africa WASHINGTON — Yevhenia Tymoshenko retirement age and of spending $2,000 over experienced the most significant gains – Carr, the daughter of the imprisoned former budget to mark Ukraine’s national police day.” concentrated largely in Tunisia, Egypt and Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, The son-in-law of a Supreme Court Libya – it also suffered the most declines, appeared before the U.S. Senate Foreign chairman was arrested on the day his wife Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs gave birth in order to intimidate that jus- (Continued on page 13) on February 1 in her continuing effort to gain tice into resigning. her mother’s freedom and help her country Former acting defense minister Valery in “this moment of grave danger for Ukraine’s Ivashchenko has been imprisoned for liberty, and our independence as a nation.” almost two years, with his health severely Battle of Kruty anniversary is recalled The root source of her mother’s persecu- deteriorating. tion and imprisonment, she explained, was “What we are witnessing in Ukraine is the her persistent fight since she was deputy continuous abuse of the criminal justice sys- prime minister ten years ago against corrup- tem. Politically motivated prosecutions of tion, especially in the energy sector. And for former government officials, civil society that, “she ended up illegally imprisoned, activists and prosecutions of human rights convicted and tortured for not playing by the defenders ignore the rule of law,” she said. rules of their game, not complying with their Ms. Tymoshenko Carr called on America orders that were detrimental to Ukraine.” to do all that it can “to preserve democracy She described to the senators and the in my country” and “to speak out, loudly and packed hearing room the numerous illegal clearly, so that the people of my country do methods used by the Yanukovych govern- not feel abandoned and lose hope.” ment during her arrest, interrogation and Ms. Tymoshenko Carr testified in the sec- trial period and subsequent imprisonment. ond part of the subcommittee hearing enti- While the Kachanivska prison near tled “Ukraine at a Crossroads: What’s at Kharkiv where her mother is being now Stake for the U.S. and Europe.” The hearing, held is not necessarily “a dungeon,” Ms. chaired by Sen. Jeanne Shoheen (D-N.H.), Tymoshenko Carr said, “the Yanukovych began with a panel of three Washington regime does not need to use medieval sur- experts in this region: Steven Pifer, the for- roundings to get medieval results.” mer U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, now a “Instead, they are using the modern tech- senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; niques of sleep deprivation and intimidation Damon Wilson, executive vice-president of UNIAN/Oleg Petrasyuk to try and break her.” the Atlantic Council; and Edward Chow, KYIV – On January 29, a peaceful march in Kyiv honored the memory of the heroes of Ms. Tymoshenko Carr described how, senior fellow of the Energy and National the Battle of Kruty, who defended the Ukrainian capital and the newly proclaimed inde- denied a restful night’s sleep in her cell, Security Program Center for Strategic and pendent Ukrainian National Republic. On January 29, 1918, about 300 Kyiv students and which is kept lit day and night and monitored International Studies. cadets succeeded in holding back the Bolshevik forces of Gen. Mikhail Muraviev, some by a close-up surveillance camera, her moth- Following the hearing, Ms. Tymoshenko 4,000 strong. According to the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, the student battalion’s resistance er’s health has deteriorated. But, she added, Carr went to the White House for meetings delayed Muraviev’s capture of Kyiv and enabled the Ukrainian government to conclude they will not succeed in changing her mind. with special advisers to Vice President Joe the Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The remains of those who died in the battle were later Ms. Tymoshenko Carr stressed that while Biden and President Barak Obama. She was re-interred at Askold’s Mound (Askoldova Mohyla) in Kyiv. The battle is remembered as her mother may be the main target, she is not scheduled to return to Capitol Hill on a symbol of patriotic self-sacrifice. Seen above are participants of the march that com- the only former government official to find Thursday and Friday for more meetings memorated the 94th anniversary of the historic battle at the Kruty railroad station. herself in such a predicament, among them: with members of Congress and staff. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012 No. 6 ANALYSIS PACE passes resolution on Ukraine Council of Europe’s standards and for the The West and Belarus: Catch 22 charges against former government offi- KYIV – The Parliamentary Assembly of punishments while losing leverage within cials which are based on these provisions to by David Marples the Council of Europe (PACE) at its meeting be dropped,” the resolution said. Failure to Eurasia Daily Monitor the country. Meanwhile, Russia has exploit- on January 27 in Strasbourg approved a ed the rift to acquire control of various implement these recommendations within resolution on “the functioning of democrat- a reasonable timeframe, especially those Both the European Union and the United Belarusian assets. Thus, Russian bankers ic institutions in Ukraine” and called for relating to the criminal prosecution of for- States are stepping up pressure on the already control seven of 32 Belarusian charges against former members of govern- mer government members, would “raise Belarusian regime, which is targeted banks; nearly all the main insurance com- ment, including former Prime Minister serious questions” about Ukraine’s commit- because of its continuing violations of panies in the country are Russian-owned Yulia Tymoshenko, to be dropped. It asked ment to the principles of democracy and human rights and treatment of political and Russians have made inroads into the the president of Ukraine to consider releas- the rule of law, PACE said. (Ukrinform) prisoners, as well as its introduction of new ownership of the main leasing firms; ing them and to allow them to compete in laws, the most recent of which restrict Russian influence over the Belarusian mass the upcoming parliamentary elections. Lutsenko files case in U.S. court Internet access. On the other hand, the media is growing and now includes two Sixty-nine delegates voted in favor of the country sinks inexorably into the Russian prominent newspapers: Belgazeta and resolution, eight voted against and 14 KYIV – Lawmakers from the opposition orbit, with less and less chance of extricat- Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belorussii, as abstained. “The Assembly expresses its People’s Self-Defense Party handed over to ing itself. well as the Belarusian version of concern with regard to the criminal pro- Ukraine’s Procurator General Viktor Is there a way out of this dilemma? Is Argumenty i Fakty and the journal Planeta ceedings initiated under Articles 364 Pshonka on January 31 the copy of a state- ment of claim that former Internal Affairs Western policy on Belarus correct? (BelarusDigest, December 20). (abuse of office) and 365 (exceeding official Minister Yurii Lutsenko filed in a U.S. court. In early January, U.S. President Barack Herein lies the problem. The European powers) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine On December 14, 2011, Mr. Lutsenko filed a Obama signed the Belarus Human Rights Union wishes to express its displeasure at against a number of former members of lawsuit at the U.S. District Court for the and Democracy Act, which amends and the behavior of the Lukashenka regime but government, including the former internal affairs minister, Mr. Yurii Lutsenko, the for- District of Columbia regarding the violation updates the earlier laws of 2004 and 2006. its influence is dwindling and is mainly lim- mer acting minister of defense, Mr. Valerii of his rights during his detention, arrest Among other stipulations, the act will ited to the Eastern Partnership, of which Ivaschenko, and the former first deputy and imprisonment. The defendants are expand to the perpetrators of the post- Belarus is a maligned and not very wel- minister of justice, Mr.