Kyiv, November 26 (Interfax-Ukraine) – International human rights organization Amnesty International repeated earlier calls for former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to be released from prison, but stressed that does not consider her a prisoner of conscience and does not believe that the conditions of her detention amount to cruel, degrading or inhuman treatment.
“At the time of Yulia Tymoshenko’s conviction Amnesty International expressed the view that the acts for which she was convicted did not correspond to a recognizable criminal offence and that her prosecution had been politically motivated. We consequently called for the charges to be dropped, her conviction to be quashed and for Yulia Tymoshenko to be released. We continue to do so. However, Amnesty International did not and does not consider Yulia Tymoshenko a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for the expression of her conscientiously held beliefs,” reads a statement released by the organization on Nov 25.
As for the conditions of Tymoshenko’s detention, Amnesty International called for her to be provided with access to all necessary medical attention, in accordance with the international standards that should be applied for all detainees.
“Amnesty International understands that Yulia Tymoshenko was taken to a hospital for diagnosis of her back complaint, and is now undergoing treatment in prison. Therefore the organization does not believe that the conditions of her detention amount to cruel, degrading or inhuman treatment within the meaning of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights,” reads the statement.
