March 7, 2013 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada is deeply troubled by the decision of the high administrative court of Ukraine to strip Serhiy Vlasenko of his seat in the Verkhovna Rada.
“Mr. Vlasenko plays a lead role in defending former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, and the decision to remove him from his parliamentary seat calls into question the access of opposition figures to a free and fair judicial process.
“The strength of any democracy is rooted in a strong and vibrant opposition. We hope that leaders in Kyiv will finally respond to the concerns of the international community.
“We will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine as they seek to build a nation founded on the values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”
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