Ukraine opposition calls on EU for personal sanctions against officials

Ukraine’s opposition is convinced the European Union should apply personal sanctions against the officials responsible for political repressions and violation of human rights in the country, a statement from leaders of three opposing parties - Batkivshchyna, Udar and Svoboda - reads.Batkivshchyna’s press service says representatives of the ruling Party of Regions and deputies of the Communist Party have been threatening the basics of parliamentarism as they announced a plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada outside the session hall. The opposition says any decisions and legal acts approved at a meeting of the kind in the name of the Ukrainian people is a clear attempt to seize state power, a direct assault on the Constitution and the constitutional order in the country. Batkivshchyna, Udar and Svoboda have declared they supported and will continue supporting all drafted and discussed, in compliance with the parliamentary proceedings, law on the European integration, including those presented by the government. However, the opposing factions have their own packet of bills for the case, where the power does not draft bills aimed at Ukraine’s integration with the EU, the statement reads. “We call on the European Union not to allow the Ukrainians become hostages of the criminal anti-people policy of the present government. We are sure about the necessity to use personal sanctions against the officials, who are responsible for the political repressions in Ukraine and for the systematic violation of human rights,” the statement reads. The document was signed by Chairma of the Batkivshchyna parliamentary faction Arseny Yatsenyuk, Leader of the Udar Party Vitaly Klichko and Head of the Svoboda right political union Oleg Tyagnibok. The Verkhovna Rada’s Speaker Vladimir Rybak in an interview with Shuster Live television show on the Inter channel said the deputy majority may vote for a decision to organise a parliamentary meeting at any available venue, should the situation require it. “The parliament is blocked. It is not fulfilling its functions. The regulations’ Article 2 reads that the deputies’ constitutional majority may decide to organise meetings at any venue,” Rybak said. On Thursday, the parliamentary majority had a plenary meeting outside the session hall, as the opposition had blocked the podium and presidium of the Verkhovna Rada.