Selective Justice

Jailing political opponents in Ukraine

One from the archives (January 2011)

Ukraine’s authorities stepped up arrests of political opponents over the winter holidays, amid growing international concern that the nation is sliding down an authoritarian path one year into the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych.

In recent days, Ukraine’s law enforcement authorities arrested more than a dozen nationalist activists on suspicion of hooliganism, and are investigating a handful of participants from last fall’s tax protests.

This post-New Year’s surge in activity by Ukrainian law enforcement doubles the number of oppositionists currently behind bars.

Last year, nearly a dozen allies of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko were arrested, and investigations into her and allies continue at high pace.

The president and his team continue to steadfastly deny allegations that the arrests and probes are politically motivated, despite recent conclusions reached by the European Union, U.S. and leading international democracy watchdogs – all of whic…