Ukraine activist says he was abducted and tortured

A leading Ukrainian opposition activist who vanished for eight days says he was abducted and tortured before being left to die in the cold.

Dmytro Bulatov, who organised car protests for the opposition, is being treated in hospital after being found on the outskirts of the capital Kiev.

A part of Mr Bulatov's ear was found to have been cut off.

At least two other activists have been abducted since street protests escalated into violence this month.

Demonstrators accuse the security forces of being behind the abductions.

President Viktor Yanukovych accused the opposition of seeking to "inflame" the situation on Thursday by continuing the protests despite moves by the government and parliament to ease the stand-off.

Parliament voted to annul a recently enacted law restricting protests and passed a law giving amnesty to detained protesters, under the condition that occupied buildings were vacated.

Anti-government demonstrators remain in their camp in Independence Square (Maidan) with no sign of the political crisis in the country coming to an end, the BBC's Duncan Crawford reports from Kiev.

Mr Yanukovych, 63, has gone on sick leave, with his staff reporting he has a respiratory illness and a high fever.

'Hung by wrists'

Mr Bulatov says he was left to die by his captors after being kidnapped and repeatedly beaten. He was, he said, hung up by his wrists.

He also said his abductors had spoken with Russian accents.

He is a prominent anti-government activist as leader of the organisation Automaidan, a group that has patrolled streets around Independence Square, our correspondent says.

It has also driven in convoys to protest outside government ministers' homes.

Vitali Klitschko, one of the most prominent leaders of the protesters, visited Mr Bulatov in hospital.

Of the other two activists abducted this month, one was found dead in a forest near Kiev with his body reportedly showing signs of torture.

The activist, Yuri Verbitsky, was reportedly abducted along with fellow protester Igor Lutsenko, who was later released and spoke about his ordeal.

Protests began in November after President Yanukovych reversed a decision to sign a trade deal with the European Union, instead favouring a bailout deal with Russia to underpin Ukraine's ailing economy.

Anti-government protesters demanding the president's resignation have been occupying government buildings and manning barricades in freezing temperatures in the centre of the capital.

The past week has seen President Yanukovych accept the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his cabinet, and offer senior jobs to the opposition - offers that were rejected.

(BBC News)

ANN.Az