A judge ruled on October 11 that Tymoshenko had criminally exceeded her powers when she signed a gas deal with Russia in 2009. Tymoshenko, as quoted by the BBC, said the charges were politically motivated. She vowed to appeal against her seven-year jail sentence and to fight for Ukraine "till her last breath".
Ashton said that the verdict comes after a trial which did not respect the international standards as regards fair, transparent and independent legal process. " which I repeatedly called for in my previous statements".
"This unfortunately confirms that justice is being applied selectively in politically motivated prosecutions of the leaders of the opposition and members of the former government," Ashton said.
It is especially disappointing for a country that currently holds the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, she said.
"The EU urges the competent Ukrainian authorities to ensure a fair, transparent and impartial process in any appeal in the case of Ms Tymoshenko and in the other trials
related to members of the former government.
"The right of appeal should not be compromised by imposing limitations on the defendants’ ability to stand in future elections in Ukraine, including the parliamentary elections scheduled for next year," Ashton said.
The EU would "reflect" on its policies towards Ukraine, she said.
"The way the Ukrainian authorities will generally respect universal values and rule of law, and specifically how they will handle these cases, risks having profound implications for the EU-Ukraine bilateral relationship, including for the conclusion of the Association Agreement, our political dialogue and our co-operation more broadly," Ashton said.
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