KHARKIV – Former president of the European Parliament Pat Cox and former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski have arrived at Ukrzaliznytsia's Central Clinical Hospital No. 5 in Kharkiv, where the convicted former prime minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko, is undergoing medical treatment.
Six cars and a minibus carrying representatives of the European
Parliament entered the hospital’s territory at 1105. Supporters of the
former prime minister, who are keeping watch outside the hospital, met
the procession chanting ‘Free Yulia!’ an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent
reported.
Shortly before this, Kachanivska Penal Colony Chief Ihor
Kolpaschykov, Head of Kharkiv regional branch of the State Penitentiary
Service Yevhen Barash and Kharkiv regional prosecutor Hennadiy Tiuryn
arrived at the hospital.
As reported, the European Parliament monitoring mission to Ukraine
headed by Cox and Kwasniewski started monitoring the court proceedings
involving Tymoshenko on June 11, 2012 under an agreement between
Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and European Parliament President
Martin Schulz.
Their mandate was subsequently expanded to include the court
proceedings involving Lutsenko and former Acting Defense Minister of
Ukraine Valeriy Ivaschenko. Their work was suspended when parliamentary
elections began in Ukraine and was then restarted.
Their latest visit to Ukraine was on February 4-5, 2013. They visited
Tymoshenko at Kharkiv-based Central Clinical Hospital No. 5, and
Lutsenko at the Mena penal colony in Chernihiv region.
The mission is planning to submit its report to the EU leadership in early May.
