Oleksandr Turchynov: statements about personal masseur visiting Yulia Tymoshenko in prison are outright lies

Oleksandr Turchynov, first deputy head of the Batkivshchyna Party, has denied claims that Yulia Tymoshenko’s personal masseur has been allowed into the Kachanivska prison colony in Kharkiv,  according to the Official web site of Yulia Tymoshenko.

"Yulia Tymoshenko does not have a personal masseur," Oleksandr Turchynov told the press today in Kyiv.

In turn, press secretary Maryna Soroka said: "Recently, television channels controlled by the president are trying to convince the public that Yulia Tymoshenko, who was illegally sentenced, is in very comfortable conditions. I remind you that right now Yulia Tymoshenko is completely dependent on the regime and can’t decide what conditions she lives in. She’s forced to stay in ‘decorations’ built by the authorities," she said.

Maryna Soroka urged the media not to spread lies. "I urge my colleagues not to participate in the presidential administration’s special operation and spread false statements of representatives of the regime, ministry of health and prison service about ‘personal masseurs, manicurists, pedicurists and hairdressers.’ I’m certain that journalists that try to provide objective information won’t allow themselves to become instruments in this scenario created by Yanukovych’s regime to destroy the ex-premier," she said.

"Yulia Tymoshenko doesn’t have personal masseurs. She has doctors she trusts. These are people that remember the Hippocratic Oath and the most important thing for them is the health of a person who has put her trust in them, while the job of the representatives of the ministry of health’s medical commissions is to ‘treat’ Yulia Tymoshenko based on recommendations of the presidential administration," she said.

She stressed that Yulia Tymoshenko and her defense team have for several months demanded that her right to health, guaranteed by the Constitution, not be violated and asked that an expert on spinal problems be allowed to examine her.

"The regime is deliberately denying Yulia Tymoshenko proper medical care and instead of providing treatment are perpetuating her health problems. Recall that Mykola Polishchuk, a well-known neurologist, professor and former minister of health, said that delaying treatment can result in a need for surgery and that misuse of painkillers can lead to irreversible processes," she added.

Today, Yuriy Chumak, press secretary of the Kharkiv State Prison Service, told journalists that Yulia Tymoshenko’s personal masseur was allowed into the prison colony this morning and began treatment.