The Court of Appeals of Chernihiv region dismissed on Monday an appeal by former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko who asked to be released him from prison due to his illness.

"The court has found all the arguments by the defense team unfounded. The court takes into account Lutsenko's refusal of treatment at Buchanska prison... The court dismissed the appeal," a spokesman for the People's Self-Defense party wrote on his Facebook page on Monday.

Thus, the court upheld the ruling by Mena District Court in Chernihiv region that earlier refused to release Lutsenko.

As reported, on December 24, 2012, Mena Penal Colony hosted a visiting session of Mena District Court, which considered a petition lodged by Lutsenko's lawyer regarding the release of the former interior minister from prison due to an illness. The court found no grounds to release Lutsenko.

Lutsenko started suffering health problems following his arrest and a hunger strike against what he said was his illegal detention.

The ex-minister was detained on December 25, 2010. The court ruled to arrest him a few days after his detention.

Kyiv's Pechersky District Court found Lutsenko guilty of a number of counts of abuse of office and sentenced him to four years in prison on February 27, 2012. On August 31, 2012, the ex-minister was transferred to the Mena Penal Colony in Chernihiv region.

Lutsenko underwent surgery in the Oberig private clinic in Kyiv in late January 2013. After the surgery he was transferred back to Mena Penal Colony in Chernihiv region on January 30.

On February 6, doctors from Chernihiv Regional Hospital said that the condition of the ex-minister is satisfactory. Lutsenko is currently under the constant surveillance of the medical staff of the Mena Penal Colony No. 91.