Yulia Tymoshenko under 24-hour surveillance

Ivan Pervushkin, Head of the Kachanivka Women’s Penal Colony №54 in Kharkiv where the former Prime Minister and opposition leader, Yulia Tymoshenko was taken on Friday, has told reporters that Ms Tymoshenko is under 24-hour camera surveillance with the lights permanently on.  His statement, reported on television, said that “video surveillance is not prohibited by law”.  He said that this was in full accordance with the Law on Pre-Trial Detention.  He did not explain why Ms Tymoshenko had been taken from the Kyiv SIZO [pre-trial detention centre] to a penal colony if the Law on Pre-trial Detention applies.

Mr Pervushkin said that Ms Tymoshenko had received a medical examination when she arrived. He denied that she was bed-ridden and said that she was moving around the cell, and going to the toilet and bathroom by herself.

Ms Tymoshenko’s daughter, Yevhenia reported on Tuesday that she had been refused permission to see her mother even though she has official status as her mother’s civil advocate.

Mr Pervushkin stated that it was up to the investigators whether Yevhenia was allowed to visit her mother.

Yulia Tymoshenko’s lawyer, Serhiy Vlasenko has stated that they will be appealing to the courts against Ms Tymoshenko’s move to the Kachanivka Women’s Penal Colony since the Shevchenkivsky District Court ordered that the criminal investigation into other charges now facing the opposition leader  be investigated in Kyiv where she had been held since August 2011.