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Council of Europe monitors meet with Ukraine's Tymoshenko in jail
Nov 30, 2011, 11:42 GMT
Moscow - Representatives from the Council of Europe's Committee to Prevent Torture met with Ukraine's opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko in a Kiev jail on Wednesday, the Interfax news agency reported.
The two-hour meeting took place in a room used by interrogators in a prison where Tymoshenko is serving a seven year sentence for abuse of power.
Serhy Vlasenko, Tymoshenko's lawyer, alleged the room had been freshly-painted for the visit by Council of Europe (CE) officials.
The head of the CE delegation was Letif Guseynov, Vlasenko said.
Tymoshenko's legal team has alleged her health is failing and that prison staff are refusing her proper medical treatment, while banning visits by her relatives.
Prison officials have said that Tymoshenko is generally healthy and is receiving proper treatment for minor health complaints.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Tuesday ordered Tymoshenko's jail conditions be brought up 'to European standards'.
Tymoshenko, one of the leaders of Ukraine's 2004 pro-democracy Orange Revolution, has alleged she is the victim of a campaign by the Yanukovych administration to eliminate political enemies.
Yanokovych has denied the claim.
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