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Canadian, Ukrainian medics continue to examine Timoshenko

Timoshenko’s lawyer stressed that Timoshenko’s family and her lawyers are against the transfer of any information to Health Ministry officials

KIEV, February 15 (Itar-Tass) —— A medical commission has been examining former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko at a penal colony for the whole day of Wednesday, February 15, the press service of the State Penitentiary Service said.

“The State Penitentiary Service reports that as of 16:00 [18:00 Moscow time], Canadian and Ukrainian medics included in the commission were still examining Timoshenko’s health,” it said.

At the same time, Timoshenko’s lawyer and MP Sergei Vlasenko said that Canadian medics had not been allowed to examine his defendant because they were asked share their findings with Health Ministry officials before they are made public.

“The medics have not been allowed to see Yulia Timoshenko for six hours. Negotiations are underway, but neither the Canadians nor Yulia Timoshenko agreed to share the findings to Health Ministry officials,” Vlasenko said.

He stressed that Timoshenko’s family and her lawyers are against the transfer of any information to Health Ministry officials.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said earlier in the day that German and Canadian medics examined Timoshenko for five hours at Kachanivska Penal Colony No. 54 where Timoshenko is serving her prison term in the presence of Ukrainian specialists from the international medical group. The German medics completed the examination and left, having placed their findings in a sealed envelope.

“After the end of the examination Timoshenko will be familiarised with the German medics’ findings contained in a sealed envelopes, which will confirm the independent work of the international medical group,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said.

“The final findings will be given to Timoshenko within the next several days, and the envelope with the results of the examination conducted by German medics should be given to her today,” Vlasenko said.

Vlasenko noted that the “results of Timoshenko’s examination will be made public within the limits that do not violate confidentiality”.

He claimed that “the examination was conducted by foreign medics, while representatives of the penitentiary service and the Health Ministry of Ukraine were only present”.

Timoshenko fell ill on August 18, 2011, two weeks after her arrest. Her lawyers say that she “has been in bed for about four months”.

Medics believe that Timoshenko has discal hernia. She has been complaining about pains in the back. Her lawyers claim that her condition is worsening despite medical treatment.

On October 11, 2011, Timoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison for having acted in excess of her powers which had resulted in damage to national interests.