Ukraine ex-interior minister assaulted by police at protest, video shows
15 January 2014
Video evidence surfaced on the Internet news sites on Jan. 14 showing that police assaulted former Internal Affairs Minister Yuriy Lutsenko during scuffles the night of Jan. 10 following the controversial conviction of ultra-right politicians. The prior day, a representative of the Internal Affairs Ministry told a meeting with Western diplomats the police didn’t assault Lutsenko. U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt expressed concern why police video of the assault was absent when footage of the night’s remaining events was available, the Kommersant-Ukraina news site reported. Lutsenko suffered a concussion, head trauma and wounds from the assault.
Zenon Zawada: The administration of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is reinforcing its reputation as an authoritarian regime with each incident of violence and the subsequent lies from authorities to cover it up. Every such incident detracts from the government’s credibility with the West, which is eroding with each week of the EuroMaidan protest.
