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WORLD NEWS Thursday 16 March 2017

Ukraine announces economic blockade of rebel-held territory

HOWARD AMOS year conflict.
Associated Press But the new measures ap-
MOSCOW (AP) — Ukraine peared to amount to a full-
on Wednesday an- blown trade ban.
nounced a transport block- All rail and road connec-
ade of rebel-held areas tions with the rebel-con-
that is likely to cause serious trolled mini-states will be
economic disruption and cut from Wednesday, Na-
could threaten a precari- tional Security and Defense
ous cease-fire in the east of Council head Oleksander
the country. Turchynov told reporters,
“It will be in place until the the Tass news agency re-
occupiers return stolen ported.
Ukrainian industry to Ukrai- The only exception to the
nian jurisdiction,” Ukrainian new blockade will be for
President Petro Poroshenko humanitarian deliveries by
told the country’s national Ukrainian organizations, the
security council in Kiev. United Nations and the Red
The move represents a Cross.
dramatic U-turn by Porosh- Poroshenko had previously
enko, who had previously criticized blockades on
tried to end a transport rebel-held areas imposed
blockade on the rebel by nationalist activists, ar-
east imposed by nationalist guing that they hurt ordi-
groups. nary Ukrainians and drive Far-right activists clash with riot police in front of an Alfa-Bank in central Kiev, Ukraine. Ukraine on
It shows the government’s residents of the east to join Wednesday announced a transport blockade of rebel-held areas that is likely to cause serious
vulnerability to radical forc- the rebel ranks. economic disruption and could threaten a precarious cease-fire in the east of the country.
(AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)
es, which have increasingly Russian Foreign Minister
shaped the nation’s policy Sergey Lavrov denounced such a decision doesn’t Martin Sajdik, a special en- sions and have a clearly
agenda. the move, describing it as contribute to de-escala- voy of the Organization for adverse effect for the pro-
Many economic links have “contradicting common tion: quite the contrary, it Security and Cooperation cess of bringing positions
been preserved between sense and a sense of hu- tends to encourage the in Europe in the so-called closer.”
separatist-controlled ar- man conscience,” Tass re- separatist tendencies in contact group for talks Denis Pushilin, a rebel en-
eas that are dominated by ported. Donbass,” Foreign Ministry on the situation in eastern voy to the talks, said the
heavy industry, particularly The German government spokesman Martin Schae- Ukraine, said Wednesday Ukrainian blockade repre-
coal mining and metallur- also criticized the Ukrainian fer said in Berlin, referring to following its meeting in sents a clear violation of
gy, and government-held government. the area of eastern Ukraine Minsk that the latest devel- the 2015 peace deal and
Ukraine despite a three- “From our point of view, under rebel control. opments “heightened ten- “borders on genocide.”q

4 convicted of forming German far-right terrorist group

KIRSTEN GRIESHABER ers and refugee homes be- that the state is determined prison. self “terror lady,” expressed
Associated Press cause of their racist, anti- and vigilant in the fight Deputy leader Markus W., impatience during the con-
BERLIN (AP) — Three men Semitic and anti-Muslim against right-wing extrem- 41, received five years and versations that attack plans
and a woman were sen- beliefs, the court said. ism and far-right terrorism,” his girlfriend, Denise G., 24, were not developing fast
tenced to prison terms be- Judge Reinhold Baier said he said. received three years and enough, dpa reported.
tween three and five years in his verdict that the group The group had planned to 10 months. Both are from In a separate conversation,
Wednesday for forming a wanted to drive refugees attack a refugee shelter in the eastern state of Saxony. Andreas H. and Merkus W.
far-right terrorist group in out of Germany even if the Saxon town of Borna in Olaf O. from the west- talked about how to build
Germany with a plan to it meant killing people to May 2015, but police had ern city of Bochum, the a nail bomb.
bomb refugee homes as do so, the German news the group under surveil- group’s spokesman, was During raids on their homes,
a tactic to scare migrants agency dpa reported. lance and detained the sentenced to three years. police found weapons, il-
into leaving the country. Germany’s top security of- four founding members Last names were withheld legal explosives and nails.
The Munich state court ficial, Interior Minister Thom- shortly before they could in line with German privacy According to the court,
ruled that the four founded as de Maiziere, applaud- carry out the plan. rules. Markus W. and Denise G.
the so-called Oldschool ed the verdict, saying it The head of the group, The four expressed their ha-
Society in August 2014. The showed authorities are 58-year-old Andreas H., tred for migrants on social had bought the illegal ex-
group grew to have about “acting decisively against from the southern city of media, mobile messaging plosives in the Czech Re-
30 members with plans to any form of terrorism.” Augsburg, was sentenced and in a phone chat group. public just days before the
commit attacks on foreign- “The verdict today shows to four and a half years in Denise G., who called her- planned attack in Borna.q