The European Movement International joins voices across Europe in condemning the heavy handed crack-down on protesters by the Ukrainian authorities, in which at least three people are reported to have died last night. The protests were sparked by the introduction of new laws last week that criminalise the very act of protesting.

Such voices across Europe and the wider world have continued to support pro-European protesters in Ukraine, as they exercise their desire for closer ties with the EU. In light of last night’s tragic deaths, the European Movement International believes that the time for rhetoric has passed and that the European Union and the Council of Europe must take real and meaningful action, to call upon President Yanukovich’s government, to respect fundamental freedoms of expression and assembly of Ukrainian citizens.

Continued negotiations with Eastern Partnership countries are essential for both reform and modernisation and can bring long-term benefits for all countries involved and must not be abandoned. Such negotiations however, cannot take place whilst a nation is violently quashing its citizens’ intrinsic rights.

Jo Leinen, President of the European Movement International stated that “the European Union and the Council of Europe should do everything in its force to support the pro-European movement in Ukraine and to put pressure on the Ukrainian government to avoid further violence. When a government in Europe shoots at its own people, the rest of Europe cannot stand idly by”.