The health of former Ukrainian Prime Minister and Batkivschyna Party leader Yulia Tymoshenko, who is being held in Lukyanivka jail, has significantly deteriorated, according to one of her party colleagues.
"Her [Tymoshenko’s] health suddenly began to deteriorate significantly yesterday. For some reason, bruises looking like broken blood vessels have appeared on her body," the first deputy leader of the Batkivschyna Party, Oleksandr Turchynov, told reporters near the Pechersky District Court on Thursday.
"Yulia Volodymyrivna [Tymoshenko] asked me not to report this to the press, but yesterday lawyers appealed to [Judge Rodion] Kireyev demanding that a medical examination of Tymoshenko be immediately conducted and that she be given tests, first of all, a blood test," he said.
Turchynov said that the judge "ignored this request."
He also said that on Thursday morning, Tymoshenko’s lawyers had made the same request, but received no answer.
"We are very concerned about the situation that is developing around the sharp deterioration of Yulia Volodymyrivna’s health. Yulia Volodymyrivna has never had such problems as she had yesterday. Her health deteriorated so that she cannot now even make the short trips that she is allowed to make in accordance with law," Turchynov said.
He noted that if Kireyev and those "who are leading this process" are not allowing an immediate medical examination of Tymoshenko, her supporters would appeal to all democratic countries and diplomatic offices as to what is happening in prison.
Turchynov said that Tymoshenko’s life was "at risk."
An Interfax-Ukraine reporter said that Tymoshenko looked as usual after her arrest, a bit tired and pale, although there is a noticeable layer of cosmetics on her face.
Tymoshenko was arrested at a court session on the Russian gas supply contract case on Aug. 5. She is being held in Lukyanivka jail.
Tymoshenko was also imprisoned in this jail in the spring of 2001.
At that time, she was charged with giving a $79 million bribe to former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko.
