Autonomous Republic of the Crimea Bans Svoboda Neo-Nazi Nutters

“The Crimea is For the President!”

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On Monday, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea banned the activities and symbols of the Svoboda nationalist faction, as its militants riot in Kiev and storm regional government offices in other parts of the Ukraine. It banned Svoboda “as a threat to national reconciliation, public security, and the rule of law”. The Supreme Soviet also demanded that the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice  ban all activities of Svoboda throughout the country. The Presidium asked the Republic’s branch of the MVDU to bolster safety measures at railway stations, bus stations, and airports, and to secure the Perekop Isthmus connecting the Crimea to the Ukraine.

27 January 2014

Dmitri Zhmutsky

RIA-Novosti

http://ria.ru/world/20140127/991619095.html

 

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Ukrainian Government Big Warns of State of Emergency… EU Tells Rioters to Cool It

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In a video statement released Monday, Ukrainian Justice Minister Yelena Lukash threatened to ask for a state of emergency throughout the country if anti-government rioters don’t leave the Justice Ministry building in Kiev (occupied by rioters Sunday night). She said that if they won’t leave, she’d have to ask the Council of National Security and Defence to declare a state of emergency. In the video, released by Inter, Lukash also warned that she’d ask Ukrainian President Yanukovich to halt negotiations with oppositionists if they didn’t evacuate the building promptly. According to Ukrainian law, only the President, with approval from the Rada, can declare a state of emergency. A spokesman for Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov said that a state of emergency wasn’t discussed at a Cabinet meeting Monday. The Justice Ministry takeover was part of unrest this weekend after oppositionists rejected President Yanukovich’s offer to give the premiership and deputy premiership to their leaders. Lukash said that rioters vandalised the building when they broke in last night. Oppositionist bosses insist that the Ukrainian government call early elections and repeal recent anti-protest laws.

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On Monday, in a statement posted on its website, the EU representative office in Kiev urged Ukrainian oppositionists to break with violent elements engaged in rioting, saying, “We call upon the opposition to maintain the peaceful character of demonstrations and to dissociate itself clearly from all those who make use of violence in pursuing their aims”. In its statement, the EU delegation called on the Ukrainian government to repeal anti-protest legislation, which it said restricted “fundamental freedoms”. The EU delegation also affirmed that the bloc “remains committed to economic integration and political association with the Ukraine”.

27 January 2014

RIA-Novosti

http://en.ria.ru/world/20140127/186949801/Ukraines-Justice-Minister-Issues-State-of-Emergency-Warning.html

http://en.ria.ru/world/20140127/186961560/EU-Urges-Ukrainian-Opposition-to-Disavow-Violent-Elements.html

Editor’s Note:

The EU is telling the oppos to cool their jets… that is, it told them that they were stupid to have turned down Viktor Fyodorovich’s offer. I think that the oppos blew it and that they fell neatly into the government’s trap. Let’s face it… Klichko‘s a dumb jock manipulated by his German handlers, Yatsenyuk is an overambitious Khodorkovsky-wannabe, and Tyagnibok is a neo-Nazi thug. The government security forces show no signs of failing morale or indiscipline. It’s NOT August ’91. The security forces pulled back in good order… the oppos dumbly rushed in, giving the Justice Minister a pretext to ask for a state of emergency. The stupidity shown by the zapadniki and their local stooges is mind-boggling. There are NO reports of any mass unrest in the south or the east… that is, Viktor Fyodorovich’s back’s covered. It’s too early to read any tealeaves, but I’d say that if Galicia seceded, Yanukovich (and all other sensible people), would cross themselves, belt down a shot, shout, “Slava Bogu!”, and say to all comers, “Good riddance to bad rubbish”. That’s my take, for what it’s worth…

BMD

Could Viktor Bout Be Coming Home Soon?

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Lawyers for Russian businessman Viktor Bout, who received a 25-year prison sentence in the USA, are set to appeal his verdict. The RF Ministry of Justice plans to submit an extradition request in a bid to return Bout home. However, Bout wants to come back home acquitted of all charges and plans to appeal his sentence. If he fails, his defence lawyers plan to file a mercy plea, whilst extradition would be their last option.

Bout’s attorney Viktor Burobin said that the lawyers would be working in three main directions, saying, “Firstly, we’ll appeal his verdict twice, in a higher court and then in the US Supreme Court. We believe that Viktor’s innocent. We’ll file his appeals in accordance with US laws. We’ve also contacted the US Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney and we hope that the US President will pardon Bout on the principle of reciprocity. In 2000, US citizen Edmond Pope was sentenced to 20 years in prison for espionage in Russia. The trial took place on 6 December, but on 14 December, President Vladimir Putin pardoned Pope and allowed him to go back to the US. We want to use this precedent. The final option, which we’ve discussed with the Russian Foreign and Justice Ministries is extradition, which we believe would be the last option. We want to prove Bout’s innocence”.

Earlier, Viktor’s wife Alla said that the US Justice Department stated that Washington was prepared to consider an extradition application if Russia submits one in accordance with the 1983 Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. She said, “The Ministry of Justice asked me to prepare a number of documents to begin the extradition process. I understand that it’ll take a long time, and, now, we’re awaiting a response from the US Justice Department”. Bout is now in a medium-security federal prison in Marion IL. According to his wife, “Russian diplomats will soon visit him, but the USA is doing everything it can to hamper the visit. It’s difficult to get to the place, and there’s nowhere to stay. Viktor’s detention conditions leave much to be desired. He’s being held in solitary confinement and is only entitled to make two ten-minute phone calls a week to his family or a lawyer. He also has the right to receive 100 pages of printed materials a month. Maybe, later, Viktor will be allowed to use the prison library”.

On 5 April, Viktor Bout, who had a cargo shipping business, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of conspiracy for plotting to sell weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Three US agents posing as FARC militants set him up, claiming that they wanted to buy weapons from him had.

29 June 2012

Lada Korotun

Voice of Russia World Service

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_06_29/79759379/