Kyiv To Begin Tymoshenko Debate

An opposition deputy wears a t-shirt in support of Yulia Tymoshenko before a session of parliament in Kyiv on November 19, 2013.

Ukraine's parliament is expected to begin debate proposed legislation that could allow jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The debate comes after an earlier attempt on November 20 to discuss the bill was postponed and after the parliament also failed to agree on the bill last week.

The EU has conditioned the signing of a key free-trade agreement with Kyiv in Vilnius next week upon Ukraine meeting its demands for judicial and democratic reforms.

Those demands include the release of Tymoshenko, whose conviction on abuse-of-office charges is seen by Brussels as "selective justice."

EU special envoys Aleksandr Kwasniewski and Pat Cox are attending the session. Shortly after the session began, parliament passed an amendment to the electoral law to meet EU demands.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP