Ukraine attacked over treatment of Tymoshenko Ukraine is under mounting international pressure over allegations that former premier Yulia Tymoshenko was beaten by prison guards in what the country's top human rights official said could amount to torture. Lady Ashton, the EU's high representative for foreign policy, on Thursday called for the EU ambassador and medical experts to be allowed to visit the one-time Orange Revolution leader in jail, expressing "serious concerns" over her health. Ms Tymoshenko's lawyer said on Tuesday she had begun a hunger strike last Friday after the alleged mistreatment. Germany's president Joachim Gauck has decided not to visit Ukraine next month for a heads of state meeting, a spokesman said, after consultations with the government. Berlin expressed deep concern over reports that prison guards assaulted Ms Tymoshenko during a forced visit to hospital. Ms Tymoshenko's situation has even prompted talk in Germany of a potential boycott of the Euro 2012 football championships, which Ukraine is co-hosting with Poland this summer, but ministers have rejected the idea. Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister, tweeted that it was "difficult to avoid the conclusion that things in Ukraine are going from bad to worse. They risk cutting ties to Europe. Ms Tymoshenko's imprisonment for seven years last autumn on abuse of office charges, seen by the EU as politically motivated, has blocked the signing of a far-reaching political and trade agreement between Ukraine and the 27-nation bloc. Viktor Yanukovich, Ukraine's president and Ms Tymoshenko's bitter political rival, has denied exerting any influence over the country's judicial system. The latest international concerns came after Nina Karpachova, Ukraine's human rights commissioner, on Wednesday said one of her representatives had examined Ms Tymoshenko and found bruising that appeared to confirm her complaints. Ms Karpachova said "the way Tymoshenko was conveyed is cruel treatment of the jailed person and can be qualified as torture" under several treaties. But Ukraine's penitentiary service denied any beating had taken place, accusing Ms Tymoshenko of engaging in a "political game" designed to discredit the Ukrainian authorities. Hours after Ms Tymoshenko's hunger strike announcement, Ukrainian TV screened a fuzzy video showing a figure resembling the former premier walking around a cell last December - despite her claims to be almost bedridden with a serious back complaint. The Tymoshenko camp dismissed the video as a fake and designed to divert attention from her mistreatment allegations. But a senior prison official said the clip was genuine. Officials added on Thursday they had confirmed that Ms Tymoshenko's lawyer - who the video appears to show in a romantic embrace with her - had been in the jail at the date and time shown on the video. Guido Westerwelle, Germany's foreign minister, this week repeated an offer to treat Ms Tymoshenko's back condition in a German hospital, after international doctors who examined her in February said she required specialist treatment.