The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU) has asked Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to pardon former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in view of the deterioration in her state of health and since she has served a considerable part of the sentence imposed on her by the court.

"This petition will be submitted to president today," the UHHRU told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

"At the present time her state of health requires constant monitoring and observance in a specialized medical establishment with this being difficult to provide effectively in penal conditions. As of April 2013, Yulia Tymoshenko has served a considerable part of the sentence imposed by the court. It is clear that those possibilities for achieving the objectives which the sentence was supposed to achieve have long been exhausted," reads the petition posted on the institution's Website.

The organization reminded that According to Articles 106, item 27, part 1 of Ukraine's Constitution and item 87, part 1 of the Criminal Code, the president can pardon a specific individual.

"The development of the situation with the detention of Yulia Tymoshenko and ongoing court proceedings against her have heightened the attention of the Ukrainian public and international community to the issue of impartiality in Ukraine's justice system, to the question of whether the system of criminal justice complies with international human rights standards and yet again stressed the urgent need and importance of improving standards for defending citizens' rights," the union said.

The UHHRU also drew attention to the fact that during Tymoshenko's imprisonment, many medical experts have on a number of occasions reported deterioration in her state of health, with this causing her to be kept in hospital.

"Clearly the conditions in which this treatment is being given are scarcely conducive to its effectiveness," they said.

"Bearing in mind that in the case under which Yulia Tymoshenko is serving her sentence, all procedural moves have been completed, and in view of your position, Mr. President, regarding the need to humanize the system for serving sentences, and also taking into account European human rights standards which require the provision of effective medical care to people held in places of confinement, we would ask you to pardon Yulia Tymoshenko and to free her on the basis of Article 85 of Ukraine's Criminal Code," reads the document.

On behalf of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union its Board Chairman Yevhen Zakharov and Executive Director Arkadiy Buschenko signed this appeal.

As reported, Kyiv's Pechersky District Court on October 11, 2011 sentenced Tymoshenko to seven years in prison for exceeding her powers when signing gas supply contracts with Russia in 2009. She has served her sentence in the Kharkiv Kachanivska Penal Colony since late December 2011.

A court is currently considering a case on the financial irregularities of the United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU) Corporation, which was earlier led by Tymoshenko.

On April 5, Lutkovska asked Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to pardon Lutsenko because of his state of health. On April 7, Yanukovych signed a decree pardoning several convicts, including Lutsenko. The ex-minister was released on the same day.

However, she said that it is premature to ask the Ukrainian president to pardon Yulia Tymoshenko, as her trials have not yet been completed.