Convicted former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has become seriously weakened by the hunger strike she began on November 25 in protest against the government's decision to suspend the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union, one of her lawyers said on Thursday.
“She has become much weaker physically, I even had to cut my meeting
with her short yesterday because of her condition,” Serhiy Vlasenko told
Interfax-Ukraine.
He said Tymoshenko’s lawyers and daughter have repeatedly but unsuccessfully asked her to end her hunger strike.
“As a politician, Yulia Volodymyrivna can’t avoid reacting to this
[the government’s stance on Ukraine’s relations with the EU]. But she is
extremely restricted in her forms of reaction, in her forms of protest.
I categorically and completely agree that it’s dangerous for her health
and for her life, but that’s the decision she’s made as a politician,”
Vlasenko said.
Asked what could induce Tymoshenko to end her strike, Vlasenko said:
“I’m not going to make any guesses, I will not make any forecasts. I
don’t know.”
