Convict Yulia Abaplova, a cellmate of former Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko in the Kachanivska Penal Colony, has been transferred to another cell and two other convicted women were settled to the ex-premier's cell, the press service of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine said.
"Convict Abaplova, who had been living in the same cell with convict Tymoshenko in the Kachanivska Penal Colony until yesterday, has been transferred to another cell. The management approved this decision upon personal request of convict Abaplova," reads the statement of the penitentiary service.
Two other prisoners, who are serving their sentences for economic crimes, have been transferred to Tymoshenko’s cell. One of the prisoners was convicted for forgery of bank notes and the other one was convicted for appropriation of property that did not belong to her.
The Batkivschyna party led by Tymoshenko said on April 24 on its Web site that penitentiary system workers had forced the former prime minister’s cellmate Yulia Abaplova to give a video interview that was supposed to be broadcast by Inter and First National television channels.
In her letter Tymoshenko stated that her cellmate "is a calm, intelligent and nice person."
"For the time of our involuntary shared life, there have never been any problems between us, only mutual respect and mutual assistance. We are friends, and I value this friendship. We are resisting cynical and cold terror of our prison warden and other butchers as much as we can," she said.
