Prague - Former Ukrainian minister of economy Bohdan Danylyshyn has received an asylum in the Czech Republic, and thus it is unacceptable to deport him to his county. This is the conclusion reached by the Czech prosecution and voiced in an appeal to the municipal court in the Czech capital. The court is going to have a public hearing on the issue.
Danylyshyn was apprehended in the Czech Republic following a request from Ukrainian authorities in October 2010. In his native country, he faces charges of abuse of authority in handling public tenders. A few days ago, Danylyshyn was released due to the asylum being granted to him.
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Danylyshen pleads innocence and speaks about political influences behind the case. "I want to live in the Czech Republic and adapt to the society. I will be watching the developments in Ukraine," he said after being released.
Some other members of the government of Yulia Tymoshenko (2007-2010), including the former PM herself, are being prosecuted too.
While the Ukrainian opposition welcomed that the former minister was granted asylum in the Czech Republic, the Ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs is less pleased.
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The Ukrainian general prosecution has already said it will insist on the extradition of the ex-minister, and the authorities requested official information on the asylum from the Czech embassy in Kiev.
Recently, worries have emerged in the West about the pro-Russian orientation of the new Ukrainian government and its attempts to centralize power.
