The observers from the OSCE Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says that being refused permission to meet with ex-Premier Yulia Tymoshenko because she went on hunger strike is a violation of her human rights.

"I would like to stress that such a refusal is a violation of human rights," the special coordinator of the OSCE short-term election observation mission and head of the delegation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Walburga Habsburg Douglas, said near the Central Clinical Hospital No. 5 in Kharkiv, where Tymoshenko is undergoing treatment.

Her colleague, chairperson of the OSCE Committee on Democracy and Human Rights Matteo Mecacci, said that maintenance of human rights was important to all countries in the OSCE, and especially for Ukraine, which is preparing to chair the organization next year.

"You know, Ukraine is an OSCE member. This organization respects the human rights of all the prisoners. Unfortunately, an official reason we heard is that Mrs. Tymoshenko can't meet with people who sent an official request for a meeting, since she has announced a hunger strike and refuses to eat. She is violating no rules. She is harming nobody. She's just making a political statement concerning the elections," he said.

"And this [refusal to allow a meeting] leads to an even greater violation of human rights. It contradicts the major principles of human rights, which should be respected by all countries that are OSCE members, and especially the country that is to chair the OSCE next year," Mecacci added.

Douglas noted that the report of the OSCE mission presented in Kyiv on Monday contains a very critical evaluation of the elections, reporting a great deficit of democracy in Ukraine, and the democratic regress of the country.

"Unfortunately, today's situation just proved our point. OSCE representatives are going no later than tomorrow [October 31] to start new attempts to meet with the former premier. We won't give up," the head of OSCE mission said.

In turn, Mecacci said that he considers what happened a mistake by the Ukrainian authorities.

"The reason for such persistence is the belief that this was a mistake by the Ukrainian authorities. We hope that they will correct it," he said.

As reported, the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine first allowed Douglas to visit Tymoshenko, but later canceled its permission due to the declaration of a hunger strike by Tymoshenko.