Tymoshenko can be treated in Germany only based on interstate treaty, says ombudsperson

Ukraine's former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko could be brought to Germany for medical treatment only if a relevant interstate treaty is signed and ratified by the parliaments of both countries, Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Valeria Lutkovska said on the air of Channel 5 on Wednesday evening.

"As of today, there are no grounds for the transfer of a convicted person who wants to get treatment in a foreign country. In order to hand over any person so that they could receive treatment in another country, there needs to be an international treaty. And since it will deal with human rights and freedoms, according to our law on international treaties, it must be ratified by the parliament. Therefore I am surprised by every appeal to the president to settle the issue of Tymoshenko's transfer for medical treatment to a specific country," Lutkovska said.

"Any international agreement concluded between two states cannot be made with respect to a single person. Accordingly, this should be an agreement that will apply to every Ukrainian citizen convicted on the territory of Ukraine, who would like to be treated in another state which agrees to this," she added.

As reported, on October 11, 2011, Pechersky District Court in Kyiv sentenced Tymoshenko to seven years in prison for abuse of office when signing gas contracts with Russia in 2009. She has been serving her prison term in the Kachanivska penal colony in Kharkiv since the end of December 2011.

On May 9, Tymoshenko was moved from the prison to Central Clinical Hospital No. 5 in Kharkiv. The procedures for the ex-premier's treatment in hospital have been selected by German doctors from the Charite Clinic.

Tymoshenko's daughter Yevhenia said on July 1, citing German doctors, that her mother was in need of urgent surgery.