Tymoshenko wants to continue treatment, refuses to undergo procedures, says doctor

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has not set forth any conditions to medical personnel and wants to continue her treatment according to the recommendations of the doctors from the German Charite Clinic, Chief of Kharkiv-based Central Clinical Hospital No. 5 Mykhailo Afanasyev has said.

"She told me that she wanted to continue her treatment and undergo the proscribed program… Yulia Volodymyrivna is in contact with her medics, and she has not set forth any conditions to us," he said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

At the same time, the doctor noted that the ex-premier refused to undergo the treatment procedures scheduled for Tuesday evening.

"Yesterday, before a meeting with her defense lawyer, she underwent two procedures of the program. After the meeting she did not undergo any procedures, and she refused to eat and take medicines… She was supposed to undergo one procedure, but it was never conducted, as the [civil disobedience] campaign was announced [by Tymoshenko]. Yesterday she announced this campaign and employees of the penitentiary service talked to her. I was only told that she wanted to [continue the treatment course], but at the moment, while the issue is being settled, the procedure was cancelled," Afanasyev said.

Asked whether he meant the fulfillment of Tymoshenko's demands in an open letter to the president, the doctor said: "Yes, I guess so."

As reported, on January 8 Vlasenko read aloud Tymoshenko's open letter to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, in which the ex-premier declared a campaign of civil disobedience.

The former prime minister said that she refused to recognize the prosecutors and investigators involved in her case and was not going to talk to them anymore.

Tymoshenko also said she would not come to court voluntarily, and should they try to bring her to court by force, she would offer every resistance she could.

The ex-premier also refused to go back to her hospital ward unless video surveillance and the guard are removed.

Vlasenko also said that Tymoshenko refused to undergo treatment procedures.

"She formulated her demands clearly: there should be no men among security guards, illegal video surveillance should be stopped, and guards should not stay on her ward," Vlasenko said.