Of general interest to Ukraine-watchers:
A tweet from a Ukrainian parliamentary deputy with the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, one of the ruling parties:
Of general interest:
Meanwhile, the Crimean Desk of RFE/RL's service has an update on the arrest of Ilmi Umerov's lawyer:
A Russian lawyer who is defending a prominent Crimean Tatar activist says he was forcibly detained and taken to a Federal Security Service's (FSB) office in Russia-controlled Crimea on January 25.
Nikolai Polozov, who was seen being forced into a car by men in civilian clothes, said he was released two hours later.
He said FSB officers had used psychological pressure in an effort to force him to answer questions related to the case of his client, Ilmi Umerov.
Polozov added that he refused to answer the questions.
Polozov's colleague Mark Feigin said earlier on Twitter that Polozov would risk being barred from representing Umerov if he invoked his right to protect his client's privacy.
Umerov, former deputy chairman of the Crimean Tatars' self-governing body, the Mejlis, was charged with separatism last year after he publicly criticized Moscow's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014.
Read the entire article here.
Lawyer For Prominent Crimean Tatar Activist Forcibly Detained
By Crimea Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
A Russian lawyer who is defending a prominent Crimean Tatar activist was forcibly detained and taken to a Federal Security Service (FSB) office in Russia-controlled Crimea on January 25.
An RFE/RL correspondent saw six men in civilian clothing forcing well-known defense lawyer Nikolai Polozov into a car near a hotel in the Crimean capital, Simferopol. The car then drove away.
Polozov's colleague Mark Feigin said later on Twitter that Polozov had been taken to an FSB office for questioning regarding the case against his client, Ilmi Umerov, a former deputy chairman of the Crimean Tatars' self-governing body, the Mejlis.
Feigin said that Polozov may refuse to answer questions, invoking his right not to talk about his client, but in that case he risks being barred from representing Umerov.
Umerov was charged with separatism last year after he publicly criticized Moscow's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014.
In August, Umerov was forcibly admitted to a psychiatric clinic for a month of assessment tests.
The Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center has called the case against Umerov "illegal and politically motivated."