Ukraine: Tymoshenko May Share Cell With Murderer, Says Lawyer
By Ria Novosti
Jailed former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko may soon be sharing a cell with a woman convicted of murder, Tymoshenko’s lawyer Serhiy Vlasenko said on Monday.
“Several days ago a third bed was put in Tymoshenko’s cell. The prison’s authorities told her that the bed would probably be occupied by a very intelligent, smart and tolerant woman who was serving a jail term for a premeditated murder,” Ukrainian news agency UNIAN quoted Vlasenko as saying.
In October 2011, Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of abuse of office, for exceeding her authority in signing a 2009 gas deal with Russia. Her trial was condemned by both the European Union and Russia as politically motivated. She is currently serving her sentence in a women’s prison near Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv.
The ex-premier’s other cellmate was convicted of bank fraud.
Supporters of the jailed politician claim Tymoshenko’s health has deteriorated since her pre-trial detention began in August 2011 and that she is no longer able to walk due to back problems.
