Eugenia Tymoshenko, the daughter of Ukraine's jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, reads a letter from her mother in front of giant screen displaying a picture of the opposition leader in Kiev
BBC
UK government ministers will boycott England's group games in the European football championships in Ukraine.
The move is in protest at the "selective justice" meted out to jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.
Attendance at later matches, such as the final in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, is to be kept "under review".
Other EU nations including Germany, Holland and Austria have also threatened a boycott of the tournament being jointly hosted with Poland, reports the BBC.
Tymoshenko played a key role in the Orange Revolution in 2004 and says her imprisonment is an act of political revenge by Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych.
The authorities have rejected Ms Tymoshenko's allegations. She was jailed for seven years in October, for abuse of power during her time as prime minister.
Last week, she ended a 20-day hunger strike after being moved to a hospital in Kharkiv where she is being treated by a German doctor.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "The government fully supports England's participation in Euro 2012.
"We hope this is a successful tournament for the England team, the fans, and the people of Ukraine and Poland.
"No ministers will be attending group games at Euro 2012.
"We are keeping attendance at later stages of the tournament under review in the light of ministers' busy schedules ahead of the Olympics and widespread concerns about selective justice and the rule of law in Ukraine."
If England get to the final of the tournament, they will play at least five games in Ukraine.
Should they get through to the knock-out phase, they will play their quarter final in either Donetsk or Kiev. If England come second in their group and go on to win the quarter final, their semi-final will be in Donetsk. The final is to be held in Kiev.
UK Sports Minister Hugh Robertson would normally have been expected to go the group games, but was occupied with Olympic duties, the Department of Culture Media and Sport said.