Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland today issued the following statement : “I am extremely concerned about the reports that Yulia Tymoshenko was beaten up in prison. It is in the interest of the Ukrainian Government to make sure these claims are investigated in a credible and transparent manner and, if necessary, prosecuted.

In addition, I would like to recall that there is a case by Ms Tymoshenko pending before the European Court of Human Rights. She filed it last August.

She alleges that her criminal prosecution and detention were politically motivated, that there has been no judicial review of the lawfulness of her pre-trial detention, and that her detention conditions are inadequate, with no medical care provided for her health problems.

On 15 March, the Court requested the Ukrainian Government to provide clarifications in order to establish whether Ms Tymoshenko is receiving adequate medical treatment in an appropriate medical institution. The Court is now assessing the situation. We hope that this assessment will be made public in the coming days.”

Press release