You're reading: Nemyria slams secret manner in which Tymoshenko was convoyed to penal colony

Hryhoriy Nemyria, Deputy Head of the Batkivshchyna Party led by jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, slammed the manner in which his leader was convoyed early on Dec. 30 from Kyiv’s Lukiyanivka temporary detention center to a Kharkiv-based penal colony.

“Despite the opposite statements [from Ukrainian officials,] Former Prime Minister and Head of the Batkivshchyna Party Yulia Tymoshenko was convoyed to a penal colony today. This was done despite the clear evidence of the grave state of her health and the fact that she was kept in medical ward of the pre-trial detention center and cannot move without assistance,” Nemyria said.

He added that neither members of her family, nor her defense counsels were informed about the transfer.

Nemyria said: “We would also like to remind you that yesterday, Ukrainian Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych stated that due to the fact that there is still a number of criminal pre-trial investigations against Mrs. Tymoshenko underway, she cannot be transferred from the pre-trial detention center. The State Penitentiary Service is subordinated to the Ministry of Justice. Besides, Ihor Andrushko, assistant to the Head of the Penitentiary Service of Ukraine, said he doubted Yulia Tymoshenko would be convoyed to a penal colony yesterday.”