KIEV, December 20 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s parliament on Thursday adopted a law to free all protesters detained while attending demonstrations in favor of integration with the European Union.
A total of 339 lawmakers out of 367 who attended the session supported the bill, which had been proposed by the opposition, the Ukrinform national news agency reported.
The amnesty also means that no new cases will be opened against Ukrainian pro-EU protesters and that their convictions will be annulled.
Kiev stunned Europe last month by announcing that it was indefinitely postponing the signing of association and trade deals with the EU, opting instead to strengthen ties with the Moscow-led Customs Union.
Ukraine’s rejection of the EU deal has prompted mass protests and thrown Ukraine into a political crisis, with hundreds of thousands attending rallies demanding the dissolution of the government and early elections.
Both the EU and Moscow have accused each other of using strong-arm tactics to secure economic ties with Kiev.
