EU’s Ashton wants all court cases dropped in Ukraine protests

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton called Sunday on Kiev to drop all pending court cases arising out of pro-EU protests while welcoming the latest moves to calm tensions in Ukraine.

Ashton said the latest steps — the release of all detainees, and protesters leaving Kiev city hall — help “de-escalate the situation in Ukraine, thus contributing to a Ukrainian way out from the current political crisis”.

“These are important steps,” said Ashton, who has made repeated visits to Kiev to try and broker a solution.

But at the same time, she wants pending court cases dropped and soon.

“I also welcome that nearly all Maidan (Independence Square) activists have been released from pre-trial detention during the past days,” she said.

“I call upon the Ukrainian authorities to close now all pending court cases, including all house arrests.”

“I expect such action to be taken without delay so as to facilitate the political dialogue in Parliament this week,” she added.

Ashton did not specify which court or house arrest cases she was referring to.

In Kiev, protesters Sunday left city hall after occupying the building for over two months since November when President Viktor Yanukovych ditched an association accord with the EU at the last moment under Russian pressure.

That decision sparked massive, violent anti-government protests, especially in Kiev, and put the European Union and Russia at loggerheads over the future of the former Soviet republic.

Sunday’s city hall evacuation was agreed in return for Friday’s decision by the authorities to release all those detained in the unrest.

Yanukovych initially ignored protesters’ demands to reverse course and sign the EU pact but with the situation getting worse, agreed last month to dismiss the government and begin negotiations with the opposition.