体坛英语新闻：France officials to boycott Euro 2012 matches in Ukraine for political issue

PARIS, June 1 (Xinhua) -- France government decided to boycott the Euro 2012 matches in Ukraine because of a human rights issue on Friday, only a week before the kick-off of the championships.

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said, "The situation of human rights in Ukraine, and in particular political trials, prompts serious concerns within the European Union."

Sports Minister Valerie Fourneyron said the decision was made on the concerns over Yulia Tymoshenko.

Tymoshenko is serving a seven-year jail term on charges of abuse of the Ukraine's government. It was the allegations she was beaten by prison officials that raised worry in EU.h Fourneyron also hoped that other European nations take actions against Ukraine, which will co-host the European Championships on June 8 - July 1. The final will be held on July 1 in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.

French Prisident Francois Hollande did not stand for the decision. He said, "In terms of my presence and that of members of the government, I thought that it wasn't our place to go to Ukraine in this kind of situation."