Watchdog

Jailed former Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko was expelled from a Kyiv courtroom after he threw a copy of Ukraine's Criminal Procedural Code at the prosecutor, who was announcing new criminal charges against him.

The volume did not hit the prosecutor in the incident in the Ukrainian capital on June 1.

Reports say that before throwing the book, Lutsenko interrupted the prosecutor several times with laughter and mocking behavior.

Following Lutsenko's outburst, the judge adjourned the case until June 8.

The new trial of Lutsenko concerns allegations that he abused his power as interior minister during an investigation into the 2004 nonfatal poisoning of former President Viktor Yushchenko.

Lutsenko was sentenced to four years in prison in February after being convicted of embezzlement and abuse of office.

He denies any wrongdoing and says the charges against him are politically motivated.

With reporting by UNIAN and Interfax

MINSK – A Belarusian opposition activist, who was expected to be released on May 31 after serving a 15-day prison term, has been sentenced to 10 more days in jail for "saying vulgar words" to police.

Ivan Amelchanka was originally sentenced on May 17 for alleged hooliganism during an opposition demonstration in Minsk.

In the incident, which occurred in April, Amelchanka was photographed holding a sign that included the word "musorok" -- a Russian slang word that can be translated as "fuzz" or "pig" -- while standing next to a plainclothes security officer who was using a handheld camera to film the protest.

The offending placard also had an arrow pointing in the direction of the officer.