UN Security Council should convene behind closed doors within 20 minutes:
Flash from Amnesty International:
Separatist forces in Ukraine accused of threatening mass ‘executions’
The armed group calling itself the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) must not carry out 'executions', including a reported threat of killing prisoners facing life sentences, Amnesty International said today.
On Friday Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council announced that fighters from the group had seized a penitentiary institution in Donetsk and threatened to kill all prisoners facing life sentences, forcing the others to join their ranks.
“Killing prisoners is strictly prohibited under the Geneva Conventions, to which all parties must adhere in a time of conflict,” said Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia.
“If genuine, this threat would demonstrate how desperately lawlessness is spiralling out of control in eastern Ukraine.”
The DPR introduced what it refers to as a Criminal Code on 17 August, providing the ‘death penalty’ for a number of crimes including treason, looting and espionage.
Because the International Committee of the Red Cross has made clear that these trucks are not acting on its behalf or under its custody.
With Russia meddling in Ukraine and Moldova fearful of Kremlin-backed agitation -- or worse -- in Transdniester, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden has expressed support for Georgia's desire to join NATO. Biden's remarks came in a telephone conversation with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili today, the White House said.
Meanwhile, Georgians have expressed their solidarity with Ukrainians in this YouTube video, shared by Espreso.TV yesterday:
Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius says Mykola Zelenec, Lithuania's honorary consul in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk, has been kidnapped and killed by the pro-Russian rebels there.
Linkevicius met earlier today with Ukrainian President Poroshenko.