KIEV (Sputnik) — According to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, over 50 people were detained across the country on Tuesday, most of them in Kiev.
"There were detentions in Ukraine today of peaceful rally participants over non-violent use of Soviet symbols. We believe that the Ukrainian government must ensure freedom of expression and freedom of assembly for all its citizens," Amnesty International said Tuesday in its statement.
The watchdog urged for an "effective and impartial investigation into all cases of violence" that occurred on Tuesday, as celebrations throughout the country were marred by clashes with radicals.
The organization's regional director Oksana Pokalchuk said that detentions of peaceful citizens and a ban on Soviet symbols were unacceptable.
Any use of Soviet symbols has been forbidden in Ukraine since 2015 as alleged propaganda tools of communism.
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