November 22, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
UWC EXPRESSES SERIOUS CONCERN OVER REPORTED EXTREMELY GRAVE MEDICAL CONDITION OF OPPOSITION LEADER YULIA TYMOSHENKO
In a letter to the international community,dated November 22, 2011, the Ukrainian World Congress has expressed serious concern over a report that the medical condition of Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine’s former Prime Minister, is “extremely grave”.
According to a BBC report on November 21, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Nina Karpachova paid an unannounced visit to Yulia Tymoshenko’s cell in the Lukyanivka prison.
Nina Karpachova stated that: “Her condition is extremely grave, she could not get out of bed when talking to me. She needs examination and treatment outside the detention centre.”
The Commissioner also said it was unacceptable that Yulia Tymoshenko was now being interrogated by investigators in her prison cell – a practice the human rights envoy said had not occurred in Ukraine since the fall of the Soviet Union http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15824616 .
The Ukrainian World Congress called upon the international community to exert pressure on Ukrainian authorities with regard to (i) Ms. Tymoshenko’s medical condition and her immediate need to be treated by her own physiciansoutside the detention centre; and (ii) the fact that Ms. Tymoshenko should obviously not be interrogated in her prison cell, a Soviet-era practice.
With the exception of Ukraine’s current leadership, most observers, experts and leaders, including the Ukrainian World Congress, have criticized the prosecution of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko as politically motivated.
