UK government boycotts Euro 2012 over Ukraine treatment of Tymoshenko

Naffa

Naffa

Naffa

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The Guardian said:
UK government boycotts Euro 2012 over Ukraine treatment of Tymoshenko

Exclusive: Foreign Office confirms no officials will attend Euro championship games in Ukraine over jailed opposition leader

The government is to boycott the Euro 2012 football championship which begins on Friday in protest at the "selective justice" being meted out to the jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

In a move that is likely to infuriate Kiev, but will delight human rights campaigners, the Foreign Office confirmed that no ministers would attend England's three group-stage matches. England plays its first game against France on Monday in the eastern city of Donetsk. There will be no official British presence at England's two other qualifying games, against Sweden on 15 June in Kiev, and against the hosts Ukraine in Donetsk on 19 June.
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An excellent decision by our government, and one that made me feel a brief moment of pride. I hope that it will inspire other governments to do the same.
 
RationalGaze said:
Why did England even attend? The team should have boycotted the tournament (it's widely acknowledged they have no chance of winning anyway...).
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I imagine boycotting the tournament over political matters what have serious ramifications for english football, including being banned from future tournaments and possibly having an affect on our ability to field clubs in European competitions. Politics should not be allowed to interfere with sport.
 
Rids said:
I imagine boycotting the tournament over political matters what have serious ramifications for english football, including being banned from future tournaments and possibly having an affect on our ability to field clubs in European competitions. Politics should not be allowed to interfere with sport.
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Politics and sport do have occasions where they are (or should) be linked - apartheid in South Africa for a relatively recent example. That was a horrible policy and boycotting sporting events in South Africa was another way of demonstrating this.
 
It is a pity England and other football teams don't boycott and stay away form the Ukraine. perhaps they could group together and organize their own friendly competition with all proceeds going to charity.
 
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