Jailed former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been given permission to receive medical treatment outside prison, Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka said on Monday.
The Ukrainian Health Ministry said Tymoshenko will undergo a course of treatment at the spinal and peripheral nervous system department of Kharkov’s Central Clinic Ukrzaliznytsi.
First Deputy Health Minister Raisa Moiseenko said Tymoshenko had agreed “in principle” to submit to a course of treatment but wanted some time for consultations.
“I hope that a decision will finally be made,” Moiseenko said.
There has been no word from Tymoshenko yet.
She previously said she would like to go to a Berlin clinic.
Tymoshenko has repeatedly refused treatment in the prison where she is serving her sentence.
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.
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, Kharkov.
