KIEV, Ukraine - Ukraine's jailed and ailing former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko tentatively agreed Friday to have her back condition treated at a local hospital under the supervision of a German doctor. Tymoshenko lawyer Serhiy Vlasenko said the treatment of Tymoshenko's herniated disc will start Tuesday at a hospital in the eastern city of Kharkiv, where she is jailed. He said she will give her final approval after meeting with her attorneys next week.
Karl Max Einhaeupl, a doctor with Berlin's Charite clinic, who arrived to examine Tymoshenko, said his colleague will observe the treatment.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle confirmed the treatment deal, saying that it was a positive first step and that talks with the Ukrainian leadership to achieve a sustainable solution will continue.
Tymoshenko, 51, is on a hunger strike to protest the prison's alleged mistreatment of her as she serves a seven-year sentence on charges of abusing her powers when she was prime minister.
Critics have described her case as politically motivated, saying President Viktor Yanukovych, Tymoshenko's rival in the 2010 presidential election, has orchestrated her prosecution. Government officials have denied any claims of bias in the case.
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