President Viktor Yanukovych called on to the penitentiary authorities to removes cameras from Yulia Tymosheko' prison cell, but indicated that the nation's top prisoners will stay put.
“I
would move away the cameras to not irritate anyone,” President
Yanukovych said during a live televised show “Dialog with the
nation” on Feb. 22.He
called on the prison authorities to remove the cameras if they heard his live address.
Tymoshenko has complained multiple times of 24/7 surveillance in her hospital room in Kharkiv, where she is undergoing
treatment for spinal hernia. She is spending most of her time in the
shower room as a part of her protest against surveillance.
The
president’s comments come at the same time as the health ministry’s
statement that Tymoshenko no longer needs hospital treatment.
“The
Health Ministry commission came to the conclusion that patient
Tymoshenko does not require further treatment and rehabilitation in
the hospital,” the ministery’s press service said in a statement.
Tymoshenko
may be transferred back to the Kachanivska colony in Kharkiv, where
she is serving her seven-year sentence for abusing her power as a
prime minister by signing a gas contract with Russia in 2009.
Yanukovych
indicated that he has no intention to act on early release of either
Tymsohenko or former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, who is serving four years in jail.
“As
far as actions go, I cannot act beyond my authority,” he said. He
also said he was against changes in law to accommodate the release of
political prisoners.
“Artificial
law changes to suit one person – no country has this kind of
practice,” he said.
Yanukovych
said he will take decisions as president once all court hearings on
Tymoshenko and Lutsenko are over.
“When
the time comes and all court considerations are done, and the time
for the president comes [to react], I will be looking into this
issue,” he said.
