Kyiv police opens investigation into Justice Ministry building takeover
11:27 27/01/2014
KYIV, January 27 (RAPSI) – The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has opened an investigation into the occupation of the Justice Ministry in Kyiv by radical opposition members, the police states on its website Monday.
On Sunday night, approximately 50 unidentified persons wearing masks and helmets and brandishing wooden and metal sticks stormed the Justice Ministry on Horodetsky Street in central Kyiv.
Justice Minister Olena Lukash later told Inter TV that the protesters must leave the building immediately or she would call on the National Security and Defense Council to announce a state of emergency and would recommend President Yakukovych to break off the talks with the opposition.
Seeking to end the crisis, Viktor Yanukovych met with leaders of the three main parliamentary opposition groups for a second time on Saturday, offering the prime minister’s post to Arseniy Yatseniuk, leader of Batkivshchyna, the largest opposition party, and the job of deputy prime minister for humanitarian affairs to former heavyweight boxer Vitali Klitschko, leader of the Udar party.
Ms Lukash said the protesters occupied the building when they were drafting a law on amnesty and amendments to the constitution.
Protests began in Kyiv on November 21 after Yanukovych refused to sign the Association Agreement with the EU. The demonstrations turned violent on January 19, after protesters attacked police blocking a street leading to parliament.