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Ukrainian Prime Minister Says Restrictive Protest Laws Could Be Changed

January 23, 2014
by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service

KYIV -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said that the restrictive laws against holding protests and demonstrations in Kyiv that were approved last week 'could be amended' with the cooperation of the opposition.

Azarov, in an interview with Reuters, added that 'experts of the Council of Europe and Venice Commissions' could aid in making changes to the laws.

The legislation -- which came into effect on January 22 -- significantly increases fines and imposes jail terms for people found guilty of unauthorized street protests. It also bans putting up stages and tents as well as using posters or loudspeakers.

Opposition leaders are currently meeting with President Viktor Yanukovych to discuss the crisis. Yanukovych has called for a special session of parliament to convene next week.

EU Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly says Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele will travel to Kyiv on January 24. Bailly added that, following Fuele's talks with Ukrainian officials, the EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, might visit Ukraine next week.

Bailly also said that during a telephone conversation on the morning of January 23, Yanukovych gave assurances to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso that he does not plan to impose a state of emergency.

During the call, Barroso once again expressed his deep concern about the escalation of violence and warned of possible consequences for the bloc's relations with Ukraine if the crisis is not resolved.

The announcement came as the Ukrainian opposition threatened that antigovernment protesters would go 'on the offensive' unless the president called early elections.

The three main opposition leaders called on their supporters to refrain from violence until their 24-hour ultimatum to Yanukovych expired on the evening of January 23.

Opposition leaders Vitali Klitschko, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and Oleh Tyahnybok were scheduled to meet in the hours ahead of that deadline.

Earlier in the day, Klitschko challenged the president to put an end to the violence. 'One person in our country who has absolute power and absolute responsibility and can [eliminate] this problem, can [defuse] this escalation -- it is the president of Ukraine, Yanukovych,' he said. 'I will talk to him. We have a chance. He has absolute power. He can stop the fighting.'

The opposition ultimatum was issued after similar talks on January 22 failed to produce results.

Activists Killed

At least three activists have been killed in violence this week, the first fatalities since antigovernment protests began two months ago.

When speaking to tens of thousands of protesters on Independence Square on the night of January 22, Klitschko said he was addressing Yanukovych directly when claiming that 'early elections will change the situation bloodlessly and we'll do everything to achieve it.'

'Listen to the people!' he added. 'Don't ignore them! Solve the situation! For if you don't listen to the people, they'll do everything so that you hear them.'

Klitschko said that if Yanukovych fails to meet the demands of protesters, 'we'll concentrate, we'll become more numerous, and we'll start our offensive.'

On the same night, Yatsenyuk told the protesters that Yanukovych had 24 hours to agree a peaceful solution, saying he was ready to die for the cause.

'If he does not go down that path, then we will go forward together,' he said. 'And if it means a bullet to the head, then it is a bullet to the head.'

For his part, Yanukovych described his talks with opposition leaders on January 22 as a 'first step' in negotiations.

Meanwhile, on Hrushevskyy Street in central Kyiv, not far from Independence Square, black smoke darkened the sky after protesters there ensured that burning barricades were kept fueled throughout the night.

Police used water cannon to try to douse the walls of flames and fired stun grenades at those trying to keep the fires burning, but to no avail.

Protesters have also been throwing petrol bombs and paving stones at police, who have responded with tear gas and by firing what Ukraine's Interior Ministry says are rubber bullets. Protesters claim police have also been using live ammunition.

Around 300 people were reported wounded, while the Interior Ministry said 75 people were detained.

Those who died in the violence on January 22 included a 21-year-old ethnic Armenian named Serhiy Nihoyan.

RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported that another victim was a Belarusian national named Mikhail Zhyzneuski. The Belarus Foreign Ministry said it was seeking to clarify information about Zhyzneuski, who had immigrated to Ukraine in 2005.

Meanwhile, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service says the body of a third man, activist Yuriy Verbytsky, was identified in a morgue by a family member. He had reportedly been abducted by a group of unknown men on January 21.

They were the first fatalities since protests over Yanykovych's decision not to sign an association treaty with the European Union began more than two months ago.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-general- strike-protest-standoff/25239418.html

Copyright (c) 2014. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.