Rada starts consideration of bills on treatment of prisoners abroad
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has started consideration of bills on the possibility of medical treatment of prisoners abroad under a streamlined procedure.
The Ukrainian parliament earlier registered the bill, which was proposed by the leaders of the three opposition factions - Arseniy Yatseniuk of the Batkivschyna faction, Vitali Klitschko of the UDAR and Oleh Tiahnybok of the Svoboda all-Ukrainian Union, provides for the release of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and quashing her record of conviction.
The parliament's agenda also includes the bill by independent MP Serhiy Mischenko on amendment in the Penal Code, that by independent MP Anzhelika Labunska on amendment of Article 84 of the Criminal Code on the possibility of treatment of prisoners abroad, that by independent MP Volodymyr Kupchak on the humanization of the legislation on pre-trial detention and ensuring the constitutional rights and freedoms of prisoners. All of them are aimed at addressing the issue of the imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who requires an urgent surgery in Germany.
The Verkhovna Rada failed to reach a compromise on November 7 concerning the bill, which would allow letting Tymoshenko go abroad for medical treatment, despite the participation in the consultation of observers from the European Parliament Alexander Kwasniewski and Pat Cox.
On November 8, the parliament set up a working group which failed to produce a single compromise bill, which would make possible Tymoshenko's treatment abroad.