British government ministers will boycott England’s group games at the European football championships in Ukraine to protest the continued incarceration of former Prime Minister and opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

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, said a statement from the UK foreign office.

Germany, Holland and Austria have also threatened a similar boycott in what they view as human rights abuse by Ukraine’s authorities, and President Viktor Yanukovych.

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