05/12/2013 09:49
Ukraine unrest: Former presidents back mass protests
Ukraine's three previous post-Soviet presidents have given their support to mass anti-government protesters, the BBC reported.
In a statement, Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko expressed "solidarity" with peaceful rallies.
Thousands of protesters remain camped in Kiev's Independence Square, and are continuing to block the main government's building.
They are angry at the government's last-minute decision not to sign an association deal with the EU.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Wednesday visited protesters on Independence Square, saying that "the gates of the European Union are still open."
Meanwhile, Russia - which wants Kiev to join the Moscow-led Customs Union - has urged the West not to interfere in Ukraine.
"We express solidarity with the peaceful civic actions of hundreds of thousands of young Ukrainians," the three former presidents said in a statement.
They condemned "the excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators" and called on all sides to refrain from further violence.
They urged protest leaders and the government to engage in "open dialogue", taking into account "the European aspirations of the Ukrainian people."
Ukraine's special police, Berkut, has been widely condemned for beating protesters on Independence Square last Saturday.
A number of people were injured as the police cleared the protest camp - known as Maidan.
The opposition - which has since retaken the square - is demanding the resignation and punishment of the interior minister.
On Sunday, clashes erupted again at the presidential administration building in central Kiev.
Dozens of protesters - along with a number of journalists - were injured. Some of them are reported to be in intensive care.