British officials boycott Ukrainian games

LONDON, June 7 (UPI) -- Top British officials will not be attending the Euro games in Ukraine to protest the imprisonment of Yulia Tymoshenko, the government said Thursday.

The British Foreign Office in a statement accused Ukraine of "selective justice" in its treatment of Tymoshenko, a former prime minister sentenced to seven years for her role in an energy deal, The Guardian reported. Officials said the decision might be changed as the tournament proceeds, but Prime Minister David Cameron and his cabinet will definitely not attend the first three qualifying matches.

The England soccer team plays its first qualifying match Monday against France in Donetsk.

Many European leaders have said they will stay away from the games, which are co-hosted by Poland. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced last month she and her cabinet were protesting Tymoshenko's imprisonment and the human rights situation in Ukraine, and Jose Manuel Barroso, head of the European Commission, also plans to be a no-show.

Oleg Voloshyn, spokesman for the Ukraine Foreign Ministry, said the British government's action could hurt soccer without having any positive effect.

"There are multiple channels to express the British position as far as the Tymoshenko case is concerned," he said. "It has already been done in a clear and consistent way.

The boycott of the sporting event that has nothing to do with politics is a sign that the British government is inclined to resort to emotional rather than deeply calculated steps."