Ukrainian govt, opposition accept CoE secretary general's plan to probe clashes in Kyiv
BRUSSELS. Dec 6 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian leadership and the opposition have approved Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland's plan on setting up a group of experts to monitor an investigation into violence during demonstrations in Kyiv on November 30 and December 1.
"The investigation and its results must be accepted by all concerned. Therefore, the expert advisory panel to oversee the investigation will consist of one member nominated by the opposition, one member nominated by the government, and one member from the international community," the Council of Europe said in a statement on Friday.
"Transparency and acceptance of this investigation will be the first step to rebuilding trust in Ukraine," Jagland was quoted as saying.
It was reported earlier that Jagland had proposed setting up an expert advisory panel consisting of a representative of the majority, an opposition representative and a Council of Europe representative to impartially investigate the reported beatings of pro-European activists in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian government announced on November 21 that it decided to suspend preparations for signing an association agreement with the EU. The same day, thousands of activists in Kyiv, using social media, gathered on Independence Square to protest the decision.
It was reported earlier that participants in protests clashed with police on Bankova Street not far from the presidential secretariat in Kyiv on December 1. Dozens of law enforcement troops, journalists, and demonstrators suffered injuries in the incident.
The opposition claimed that the attack on the police cordon was staged by agents provocateurs bribed by the authorities in an attempt to provoke the use of force in breaking the protest up.
The Interior Ministry later reported the detention of nine men who were most actively involved in the riots and, referring to their testimony, claimed that activists from the Bratstvo (Brotherhood) party led by Dmytro Korchynsky stood behind the clashes.
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