Euro 2012: British Government Makes Right Call Boycotting Tournament in Ukraine

The English national soccer team will compete in Euro 2012, which begins on Friday, but the United Kingdom's government officials won't be in attendance as they are making a political statement that should be applauded.

According to Luke Harding of The Guardian, the British government is boycotting Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine because of "selective justice" that is being exacted against Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

Tymoshenko twice served as prime minister of Ukraine before leaving office in 2010. She was sentenced to seven years in prison in October of 2011 due to abuse of office when she worked out a gas deal with Russia in 2009. Tymoshenko has been held since then despite the fact that the European Union has opposed the decision.

Photos of Tymoshenko recently surfaced, which showed her covered in bruises. According to Harding, Tymoshenko accused Ukrainian prison guards of assaulting her, which prompted her to go on a hunger strike. The Ukrainian government has maintained that Tymoshenko's injuries were self-inflicted, but there has been plenty of doubt regarding that explanation.

England isn't the first country that has declined to attend Euro 2012 due to the Tymoshenko situation, but it is certainly the most high profile. England always has been viewed as a world power and other countries often follow their lead. With perhaps Europe's most important nation taking a stand, the pressure is mounting on the Ukrainian government.

As good of a decision as it is for the British government to refrain from attending the games, it was an equally good choice to allow the soccer team to participate. Oftentimes, when an event is boycotted, that country refuses to send athletes. However, all that does is punish the athletes and the fans. Therefore, England was correct in every way in this situation.

The general thought is that Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych is practicing authoritative rule by jailing Tymoshenko since she is an opponent of his policies, according to Harding. Diplomacy has come a long way in Europe over the past 50-plus years, so there is no room for a leader who attempts to rule with an iron fist.

Sports are so important in Europe and across the world, particularly soccer, that this move by England may be the best and most obvious way to protest the actions of the Ukrainian government. If anything is going to be done regarding the Tymoshenko situation, then European nations have to put pressure on Ukraine to change its decision.

When it comes down to it, Euro 2012 is simply a soccer tournament and there are a lot more important things to worry about. At the same time, though, England and other nations are doing a great thing by using Euro 2012 as a platform for something greater.

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