Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


                UN Report on Ukraine Slams Human Rights in East

   by VOA News

   United Nations monitors say violence by anti-government groups in
   eastern Ukraine is causing an "alarming deterioration" of human rights
   amid a political crisis between Kyiv and pro-Russian separatists.

   U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay said Friday the U.N. findings also
   raised deep concern about minorities facing harassment in Crimea, a
   southern region of Ukraine that was annexed by Russia in March. Neither
   Kyiv nor its Western allies recognize the annexation.

   Russia said the U.N. report findings were politically motivated and
   lacked objectivity.

   Separatists in the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk
   held referendums on self-rule Sunday, after which they declared
   independent "people's republics" in the two regions. Separatist leaders
   there have said they will not hold Ukraine's May 25 presidential
   election in their respective regions.

   Separatist leaders in Donetsk say they have asked Moscow to consider
   formally "absorbing" the region into the Russian Federation, but on
   Thursday Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a spokesman for Russia's
   Foreign Ministry as saying it had not received an official request from
   the "Donetsk People's Republic" to join Russia.

   Britain and the United States have warned Russia they will issue
   broader economic sanctions if Moscow tries to disrupt Ukraine's May 25
   election.

   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday he hoped Russia would
   encourage pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine to "work through
   the process that has now been opened up" -- an apparent reference to
   "national unity" talks that opened in Kyiv Wednesday, without the
   separatists' participation.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/un-report-on-ukraine-slams-human-righ
   ts-in-east/1915802.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/un-report-on-ukraine-slams-human-rights-in-east/1915802.html