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German doctor treats Tymoshenko

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German doctor treats Tymoshenko
Photo: DPA

A senior German doctor who has twice examined Ukraine's jailed ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was allowed into her prison on Friday to check on her health again, the Ukrainian prison service said.

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Berlin's Charite hospital head Karl Max Einhäupl was accompanied by Ukrainian medics during the health check on Tymoshenko, who suffers from back

pain and launched a hunger strike on April 20 to protest an alleged prison

beating.

Tymoshenko was not allowed to see her lawyer on Friday "due to the ongoing

visit of an international commission involving Ukrainian and German doctors,"

the prison service said. He travelled to Ukraine with German diplomats, sources told news agency AFP.

Germany has repeatedly offered to host Tymoshenko for treatment but Ukraine

has officially refused citing its criminal procedure laws. The 2004 Orange

Revolution leader refuses to be treated by Ukrainian doctors.

A German Foreign Ministry spokesman sought to play down hopes for a quick

resolution to Tymoshenko's fate despite "intense" efforts by Berlin.

"We are making intense efforts to find a solution with the Ukrainian

authorities on the Tymoshenko case so that she receives appropriate

treatment," Andreas Peschke told reporters.

"I just want to dampen hopes - it is complicated to find a solution and

that is still going to take some time," he added.

Einhäupl, who examined Tymoshenko in February and April, urged Ukraine

last Friday to allow her treatment abroad and said the Berlin university

hospital was ready to treat her.

The European Union has said all its commissioners would skip next month's

Euro 2012 football matches in the country to protest Tymoshenko's treatment.

Austria has announced it will boycott all matches hosted by Ukraine, a move

that reportedly could be matched by Germany.

AFP/mbw

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