Ukraine Grants Demonstrators Amnesty

In exchange for evacuating Kiev's occupied city hall and other government buildings

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The Ukrainian government announced Sunday it would grant amnesty to all arrested anti-government protestors, so long as demonstrators evacuate government buildings occupied during the recent unrest.

As part of the amnesty agreement, Ukrainian authorities will drop all criminal charges against protestors for violations committed in the violent period between Dec. 27 and Feb. 2 in which hundreds were injured and six people killed. In exchange, protestors must unblock roads and evacuate government buildings, Reuters reports.

Anti-government demonstrators evacuated Kiev’s city hall Sunday, having occupied it for two months. The city center building had become the “headquarters of the revolution” since protestors stormed it in December, seeking to oust President Viktor Yanukovych.

Demonstrators continued to demand a government without Yanukovych despite the amnesty. The unrest began after the president refused to sign a trade deal with the European Union in order to foster closer ties with Russia.

[Reuters]