21:08 06.03.2013

Stripping Vlasenko of his mandate not European way, says Fule

2 min read

European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule has stated that the annulment of Serhiy Vlasenko's parliamentary mandate is not a European way and it does not bring Ukraine closer to the European Union.

"Stripping a parliamentarian of his mandate like being done in case of Vlasenko is not European way. Does this bring Ukraine closer to EU?" he wrote on his page on Twitter.

As reported, on March 6, 2013, the Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine ruled to annul Vlasenko's parliamentary mandate.

Thus, the court upheld a relevant lawsuit of Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Rybak.

Rybak explained his appeal to the court by the fact that Vlasenko practices advocacy and is a people's deputy at the same time.

Vlasenko is a member of the defense team of jailed former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in a number of criminal cases against her.

On March 5, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton and European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule expressed their concern about the situation with possible withdrawal of Ukrainian MP Serhiy Vlasenko's mandate.

"The High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Stefan Fule are looking forward to the full implementation of the conclusions of the February 25, 2013 EU-Ukraine Summit, following closely the political developments in Ukraine. They are deeply concerned by recent legal proceedings leading to possible annulment of parliamentary mandates of two members of the parliament on contested legal grounds," reads the statement.

The European officials called on the Ukrainian authorities "to address this situation so as to avoid creating any perception of the misuse of the judiciary for political purposes."

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