Ukraine's presidential pardon commission has said it is too soon to consider pardoning jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
The commission said that as some criminal charges against Tymoshenko are still being investigated and the courts have not yet ruled, the "issue of her pardon is premature."
On April 25, foreign ministers of several EU countries visiting Ukraine cited the Tymoshenko case as a major obstacle to rapid progress on free trade and political association deals.
Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in October 2011 for crimes related to a 2009 gas deal with Russia.
She is due to be tried on tax evasion and embezzlement charges and is being investigated in a murder case.
Tymoshenko denies all the charges, saying they are politically motivated.
The commission said that as some criminal charges against Tymoshenko are still being investigated and the courts have not yet ruled, the "issue of her pardon is premature."
On April 25, foreign ministers of several EU countries visiting Ukraine cited the Tymoshenko case as a major obstacle to rapid progress on free trade and political association deals.
Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in October 2011 for crimes related to a 2009 gas deal with Russia.
She is due to be tried on tax evasion and embezzlement charges and is being investigated in a murder case.
Tymoshenko denies all the charges, saying they are politically motivated.
