The Germany football coach Joachim Loew has rejected calls for a boycott of Euro 2012 over jailed former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison last October for abuse of office after a trial the West said was politically motivated.
She is in prison in the city of Kharkiv, one of the Euro 2012 venues, and is on hunger strike in protest at what she said was an assault by guards, an allegation denied by the prison administration.
Her case has sparked calls for a boycott of next month's tournament co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.
However Leow says a boycott doesn't make sense, but says it's is a good opportunity, with all eyes on the tournament, for these issues to be discussed and hopefully something positive comes out.
He says Germany has an image of football that is about fun, joy, integration and bringing people together, but says the team will not travel to Ukraine as the police for the world.
