No extradition hearing for Ukrainian politician until July, report says

Italian courts won’t be able to review a request by the Ukrainian government to extradite opposition politician Viktor Romaniuk until July at the earliest, the Ukrayinska Pravda news site reported on April 1. Romaniuk was arrested in Italy in late March at the Ukrainian government’s request that he face alleged corruption charges. He was an opposition politician competing for one of five contested single-mandate districts that remain unresolved from the October parliamentary election.

Zenon Zawada: Romaniuk’s arrest is merely the latest case of the Ukrainian government persecuting opposition leaders. In March, a court ruled to remove from parliament Serhiy Vlasenko, the lead defense attorney for imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Romaniuk’s arrest will only build the case for EU leaders to be against signing the Association Agreement. Among the EU’s demands for signing the pact was to hold a revote for five contested election districts. Romaniuk’s inability to compete in the revote will be viewed very negatively by EU leaders. The incidents involving Vlasenko, Romaniuk and other opposition leaders have put the likelihood of Ukraine signing the Association Agreement below 50/50.