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Russian court issues arrest warrant for Ukraine far-right head for terrorism

Other News Materials 12 March 2014 11:30 (UTC +04:00)
A Russian court issued an arrest warrant for Ukrainian far-right leader Dmytro Yarosh in absentia on Wednesday on charges of inciting terrorism, a symbolic move in support of Moscow's argument that "extremists" stole power in neighboring Ukraine
Russian court issues arrest warrant for Ukraine far-right head for terrorism

A Russian court issued an arrest warrant for Ukrainian far-right leader Dmytro Yarosh in absentia on Wednesday on charges of inciting terrorism, a symbolic move in support of Moscow's argument that "extremists" stole power in neighboring Ukraine, Reuters reported.

Russian news agencies said Moscow's Basmanny District Court ruled that Yarosh, one of the most influential leaders of the protest movement which ousted leader Viktor Yanukovich, should be arrested for making "public calls for terrorist and extremist activities via the media".

Ukraine's new justice authorities have issued warrants for the arrest of pro-Russia leaders in Ukraine's southern Crimea region before a weekend referendum they have called to join the region to Russia.

Russia has singled out Yarosh, who heads the Right Sector paramilitary movement and has said he will run for president of Ukraine, as an example of what it calls the extremists who led an anti-constitutional "coup" in Ukraine.

Ukraine's government and Western leaders accuse Russian officials and media of distorting the facts to provide President Vladimir Putin with a justification for invading Ukraine to protect Russians there.

As a result of protests in Ukraine, the country's President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted on Feb. 22. The Verkhovna Rada (parliament) has approved the new composition of the parliament and is preparing to hold pre-term elections.

On Feb. 26 several thousand people participating in two rallies gathered in front of Supreme Council of Crimea. After the escalation of the protest actions in Crimea, the Federation Council supported President Vladimir Putin's appeal regarding the use of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine pending "the normalization of the socio-political situation in that country".

Leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and the U.S., as well as chairman of the European Council and the chairman of the European Commission made a joint statement condemning Russia's position on Ukraine and canceled the preparations for the G8 summit in Sochi, scheduled for June 2014.

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