A few days ago, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, serving her seven-year sentence, was transferred to women’s penal colony no. 54 in Kharkiv. Only a day after Serhyi Vlasenko, Tymoshenko’s lawyer, complained about the inhumane conditions of her imprisonment, the Prison Service of Ukraine published photos of Tymoshenko’s cell on their website.
Yulia Tymoshenko
The conditions presented in the photographs are far from standards of the prison system in Ukraine. “The size of the room Yulia Tymoshenko is staying with another prisoner is 37.5 square metres. The room is in accordance with all European standards and norms. It is equipped with modern TV set, microwave and fridge. There is a special place for preparing food, a bathroom with a shower cubicle and washing machine,” we read in the Prison Service’s statement. This information is to be confirmed by the published photos:
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“In comparison with hundreds of thousands ordinary people, Tymoshenko serves her sentence in luxury conditions, so that there is no reason for accusations of harassing her. Her figure is to attract attention … The Kachanovsky colony is a showpiece. It was done so that Europe would see how good conditions are in Ukrainian colonies,” explains a well-known lawyer, Tatiana Montyan. “Then, emotions fall, parliamentary elections start, people have their own problems and Tymoshenko stays in jail,” she adds.
On 5 January, Yulia Tymoshenko was visited by a medical commission consisting of 9 doctors of different specialisations, lead by Raisa Moyseyenko, Deputy Minister of Health Protection. The doctors’ opinion on the former Prime Minister’s health was positive. However, they recommended more exercise and massages.
See the place, where Yulia Tymoshenko is staying:
Source: sehodnia.ua, unian.net, gazet.ua
Translated by Marta Lityńska
