Czech Republic grants political asylum to former Ukrainian minister

Czech Republic grants political asylum to former Ukrainian minister

2011-01-14 08:35:47 GMT+7 (ICT)

PRAGUE (BNO NEWS) - Former Ukrainian economy minister Bohdan Danylyshyn on Thursday was granted political asylum in the Czech Republic, the CTK press agency reported on Friday.

Interior Ministry confirmed the news to CTK after an initial report by Czech Television (CT). Danylyshyn has been in custody since he was detained on an international arrest warrant in the Czech Republic on October 18.

Danylyshyn, who served from late 2007 until last year's fall of Yulia Tymoshenko's government, has been accused of corruption and misspending almost $2 millions in Ukraine.

A spokeswoman for the Prague City Court said the state attorney may now decide on Danylyshyn's release from custody. The former minister has previously plead not guilty and said his prosecution in Ukraine is politically motivated.

The Ukrainian opposition has called the case a political persecution by the current government of President Viktor Yanukovich. Other members of the former government, including Tymoshenko herself, have been accused too.

Tymoshenko has been accused of abusing funds worth some 300 million dollars that Ukraine gained by selling unused carbon credits to Japan.

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