Ukrainian Jailed In Crimea Over Euromaidan 'Murder' Charge
A 23-year-old Ukrainian who says he was tortured has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted murder by a court in Russia-annexed Crimea.
The court in Simferopol on June 10 said Andriy Kolomiyet had thrown a Molotov cocktail at two former Ukrainian Berkut riot police during the pro-Western Euromaidan protests in Kyiv in January 2014.
Kolomiyets was arrested in Russia’s North Caucasus region in May 2015 and transported to Crimea, where he has been held in custody ever since.
Kolomiyets has said he was tortured into confessing to taking part in extremist Ukrainian organizations during protests in Kyiv in 2014 that led to the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Human rights activists in Ukraine have described the charges against Kolomiyets as absurd.
Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax
Anti-OSCE Protest Held In Eastern Ukraine
A protest has taken place in the separatist-controlled eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk against the deployment of monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
The rally on June 10 was organized by the Russia-backed leaders in the region of Donetsk.
The OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) has 580 unarmed staff based in the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.
Separatists leaders have accused the SMM of unfairly blaming much of the violence in the conflict zone on separatist fighters.
Nearly 9,400 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine since hostilities erupted in April 2014.
Amid an uptick in violence, Kyiv is hoping to get an armed police mission under the auspices of the OSCE deployed in separatist-held areas in Donetsk and Luhansk.
"We have gathered here to say a firm 'no' to an armed OSCE mission," Donetsk separatist leader Denis Pushilin told the pro-Russia crowd.
Based on reporting by AFP
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
