Ukraine EuroMaidan endures ongoing beatings, threats, criminal charges

Fatherland MP Andriy Parubiy, who serves as the commander of the EuroMaidan’s tent city, said on Jan. 4 that the opposition is planning “to go on the offensive” to pressure the government to resign after the Jan. 7 Orthodox Christmas holiday. At the same time, the EuroMaidan is preparing for another attempt by Yanukovych to forcefully clear the EuroMaidan, which he said could come as soon as Thursday. The last such attempt was Dec. 11, before the president was reportedly warned of visa sanctions against Ukraine’s ruling elite by the U.S. and EU leadership.

Traffic police are blocking access to the EuroMaidan for trucks with firewood, toilet cleaning equipment and trash removal, Parubiy said. “If they will block access to trucks, we will take all the toilet waste and trash to the traffic police headquarters, to the homes of the police leadership and to Bankova Street,” he said, referring to the street where the Presidential Administration is situated. In its turn, traffic officials acknowledged blocking the trucks, stating they didn’t get approval for traveling in the city center without permission from the State Auto Inspection.

A EuroMaidan activist in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, reported on Jan. 4 that he was accused by police of distributing pornography. He was arrested, transported in an unmarked car, his mobile phone was confiscated and was warned that all his phone contacts would be informed of the accusations of distributing pornography. A EuroMaidan activist in Donetsk, Ukraine’s fifth largest city, reported on Dec. 31 he was arrested on claims of child molestation. They alleged they had a porno video he produced.

Andriy Illyenko, a Freedom party MP, and his lawyer Sydir Kizin were attacked and beaten by a dozen assailants on Jan. 3 as they left a central Kyiv police station following questioning regarding a separate incident. Illyenko suffered a skull fracture and concussion while Kizin had a deep facial cut. “We note that only the investigator knew of the beginning and conclusion of the questioning,” the Svoboda party stated in a press release. “So there’s enough of a basis to allege that the very police informed the bandits when our party members would emerge from the district station.”

A Kyiv district postponed to Jan.10 a hearing on assault charges against Serhiy Vlasenko – the lead defense attorney for imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko— that were filed by his former wife. Opposition leaders said the charges are part of the government’s political persecution campaign against the opposition. They are meant to restrict Vlasenko’s ability to serve as Tymoshenko’s counsel, said the statement released on Jan. 3. “For the first time in the history of political events in Ukraine, the trial is being heard by an illegal composition of the court,” the statement said. “Instead of a single judge, as required by law, a Stalinist ‘troika’ has been assigned to the case whose task is set directly by the Presidential Administration.”

A Kyiv district court decided on Jan. 3 to postpone until Jan. 8 a hearing regarding Yaroslav Prytulenko, the single remaining incarcerated protester among the nine that were arrested during the Dec. 1 clashes in front of the Presidential Administration. The prosecutor neglected to appear.

Zenon Zawada: All these episodes demonstrate the nasty conflict that we expect will continue throughout the year between the government and the opposition, which continues to occupy Kyiv’s Independence Square, City Council building and main boulevard Khreshchatyk. Unfortunately, we don’t see a resolution in sight.