EU and US diplomats have voiced dismay after Ukraine on Thursday (16 January) criminalised almost every aspect of the pro-EU protest movement.
President Viktor Yanukovych’s ruling Party of the Regions rushed through the legislation via show of hands in parliament.
Reports say that electronic tellers in the Verkhovna Rada kept flashing up a figure of 235 votes in favour just a few seconds after each round of voting, before the hands could be counted.
The laws impose fines of ...
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Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.