Text tabled : RC-B7-0235/2012

  Ivo Belet (PPE), in writing. − (NL) I am very pleased that we have today, with a large majority, called on all policy makers who will be going to the European Football Championship in Ukraine to condemn the political situation in that country when they arrive there. We are asking them to publicly voice their concerns regarding the political situation in Ukraine and to use this opportunity to visit political prisoners there, if at all possible. The trial of Yulia Tymoshenko has again been postponed, this time until the end of June, after the European Football Championship in Ukraine and Poland ends. The Ukrainian Government wants to keep the trial out of the spotlight of the international press. However, in so doing, it is achieving the exact opposite of what it intended. I realise that it is best to keep sport and politics separate, but in this case we simply cannot look the other way. On 13 June, the Netherlands will be playing Germany in Kharkiv. The stadium in Kharkiv is two kilometres from the prison where Yulia Tymoshenko is locked up. At this time as politicians and, even, as players, we cannot act as though this is none of our concern.