You're reading: German doctors recommend Tymoshenko continue treatment at Kharkiv-based clinic

Kharkiv – The doctors from the German Charite Clinic have recommended former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to stay at Kharkiv-based Central Clinical Hospital No. 5 and continue her treatment course.

“As of today, of course we recommended her to stay here at the hospital. We also discussed the issue with the patient, and now she has temporarily withdrawn her demand to be transferred to the colony,” Anett Reisshauer, one of the doctors in charge of Tymoshenko’s treatment, told journalists outside the clinic on Friday.

Her colleague, Lutz Harms, in turn, noted that the ex-premier’s final decision will first of all depend on the presence of video surveillance in her ward.

“Whether she will withdraw her request will depend on the further development of the situation. This will mainly depend on the presence of video surveillance in the premises,” Harms said.

As reported, in mid-October a video was posted in the Internet allegedly recorded at Tymoshenko’s ward. On the video a woman resembling Tymoshenko wearing high-heeled shoes did physical exercises.

Tymoshenko’s defense lawyer expressed indignation about the video. He also read aloud the ex-premier’s open letter to the president, in which she confirmed that she was the woman on the video. In the same letter she demanded to discharge her from the hospital and return her to prison, explaining that a video surveillance system was covering her ward around the clock.

As reported, Tymoshenko has been in jail since August 5, 2011. On October 11, a court sentenced her to seven years in prison for abuse of office in signing a gas supply contract with Russia in 2009.

On May 9, 2012, Tymoshenko was transferred to Central Clinical Hospital No. 5 in Kharkiv to undergo a treatment course in line with recommendations made by doctors from the Berlin-based Charite clinic. The last time German doctors visited their patient in Kharkiv was on October 14.

The day after the parliamentary elections in Ukraine, on October 29, Tymoshenko went on hunger strike to protest vote rigging.