Yuriy Lutsenko

Former Ukraine PM may be Released after Serving 2 Years

• Report rights infringement
• published: 22 Feb 2014
• views: 82

Former Ukraine PM may be Released after Serving 2 Years Not unlike the American Occupy Movement and the Arab Spring, Ukrainian citizens - many young and full of energy and idealism - are fighting to declare independence from the rich, ruling class of unethical politicians, and return the power to the people. Protester Ustyn Golodnuk, 19, a student from the town of Zbarazh in the Ternopil region in Western Ukraine, was to meet up with his father on Oktyabrskaya Street, according to intvua.com. His father told him to be careful. Ustyn laughed saying "Dad, don't worry! I have a magic helmet, ... and nothing will happen to me." Soon after, the father was holding a bloody helmet and identifying his son's body in the lobby of the Hotel Ukraine, which is being used as a temporary morgue. Olga Bogomolets, the chief doctor of the mobile clinic said, "The sniper or snipers have worked professionally. All injured in the heart or in the head. All killed by bullet caliber 7.62 mm [Dragunov sniper rifle]. They shot to kill." "I don't know whether Yanukovych to stand on his knees in front of me, but I know for sure that he must go before an International Tribunal for what he has done to my country and to my son," says the father. According to Kyivpost, at least 49 were slain on Feb 20, bringing the total death toll to at least 75. In a brief interview outside the parliament, former interior minister and opposition leader Yuriy Lutsenko shed some light on details of the Feb. 18 crackdown on EuroMaidan. Specifically, Lutsenko explained the tactics used by the riot police on Feb. 18 to make the protesters retreat from the government quarters so quickly. According to the former police minister, when the riot police units started using firearms against the protesters people started running away. "Berkut was so obsessed by all this blood that it didn't stop at the first line of the barricades (on Institutska str.) as it was order, but jumped on Maidan," Lutsenko said. "It took over both October Palace and European Square without any order." Lutsenko explained that once Maidan's self-defense unit was able to stop the retreat and stabilize the situation, Berkut was able to access the top floor of the Trade Unions House through the roofs of adjacent buildings, which enable to be in direct vicinity to the stage. "They stopped because we had several pieces of firearms," Lutsenko said. "I personally heard the communications of interior troops officers, who when ordered to attack would respond in Russian (with an expletive). When Berkut was ordered to attack, they would say 'we haven't been paid for this.' The danger of death has stopped them." -- Mark Rachkevych, Vlad Lavrov Tens of lawmakers from President Viktor Yanukovych's ruling Party of Regions left the faction on Feb. 21, signaling that the presient was loosing his grip on power and influence over those once loyal to him. Yulia Tymoshenko "Ukraine parliament" "anti-government protesters" "Viktor Yanukovich" clash police "opposition leader" "Ukrainian riot police" "city center" crackdown "independence square" kiev "deadline expired" gunfire grenades "open warfare" bullets " Interior Ministry " Russia EU US "peace talks" Kyiv Germany "abc news" "cnn news" "fox news" "nbc news" "political news" "ap news" "bbc news" "rt news" "barack obama" 2/212014 21/2/2014 At least 28 Party of Regions members of parliament were reported to have left the faction, according to Interfax-Ukraine news agency. -- Christopher J. Miller Parliament votes to suspend Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko