15:11 12.04.2013

EU ambassador praises human rights commissioner's contribution to Lutsenko's release

1 min read

Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Jan Tombinski has noted the contribution of the Verkhovna Rada's Commissioner for Human Rights, Valeria Lutkovska, to the release of former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko from prison.

"Your position on the case, as the Ukrainian parliament's commissioner for human rights, has played an important role for a positive solution of this matter, and demonstrated the real willingness of the Ukrainian state to humanize the penal system and provide more efficient medical care to imprisoned people, as you noted in your pardon request," reads the ambassador's letter to Lutkovska, the commissioner's press service reported.

As reported, on April 5, Lutkovska asked Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to pardon Lutsenko because of his state of health and the fact that the ex-minister had served more than half of his prison term. On April 7, Yanukovych signed a decree pardoning several convicts, including Lutsenko. The ex-minister was released on the same day.

Pechersky District Court in Kyiv found Lutsenko guilty of committing official crimes and sentenced him to four years in prison. The minister was supposed to serve his term until December 2014.

On April 8, Lutsenko met with Tombinski.

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