Ukraine activist Bulatov reveals details of alleged kidnapping
Ukraine activist Dmytro Bulatov has shed light on his alleged kidnapping, and has told reporters he had begged his captors to kill him. Bulatov said he was so desperate to end the ordeal he made false confessions.
Bulatov fronted a press conference in Vilnius, Lithuania on Thursday to outline the details of his ordeal, which began with his abduction on January 22. He was discovered eight days later, bloodied and claiming he was tortured by his captors. Bulatov was one of the leaders of the group Automaidan, which uses vehicles to blockade streets in protection of protest groups. He had been active in the anti-government protests gripping Ukraine, with President Viktor Yanukovych under pressure after electing not to sign an association agreement with the European Union in November. False confession Bulatov is one of several prominent activists said to have been abducted, and said his captors repeatedly asked him who was funding the protests. He said he had falsely confessed to having received $50,000 (36,800 euros) from a United States ambassador in an attempt to stop the torture. "They cut my ear, I couldn't feel how much they cut off my ear. They took the piece of my ear and touched my face with it," he told reporters. "The only thing I wanted was for this to stop … I said whatever they wanted." "On the last day they put me on my knees. They said, 'We are going to crucify you.' I was asking them to kill me because I was unable to stand this any more," he added "Some time later they came and put a bag on my head and took me somewhere. I was hoping my suffering was finished." Bulatov flew to Lithuania for further medical treatment, and told news agency Reuters he would not return to Ukraine unless he received guarantees he would not be prosecuted. Constitutional change sought Ukraine's opposition parties are continuing their push to return the constitution to its 2004 form - a move that would shift several powers from the president to parliament. Yanukovych has rejected the proposal, but a spokesman from the president's Party of the Regions said leaders of all parliamentary groups are set to meet in the coming days to discuss a bill. "Next week, we should take a decision - maybe on Tuesday, Wednesday - to consider this draft law," Party of the Regions' speaker Volodymyr Rybak told lawmakers. Speaking on Wednesday, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton called for political action to end the turmoil, saying a potential aid package from the US and EU would be more than simply monetary assistance. ph/dr (Reuters, dpa)
Ukraine
Ukraine Ukraine_national_football_team Ukrainian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic List_of_non-marine_molluscs_of_Ukraine Football_Federation_of_Ukraine ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Ukraine Ukraine_women's_national_football_team Ukraine_national_cerebral_palsy_football_team Ukraine_national_under-21_football_team Ukraine_national_under-19_football_team Ukraine_Fed_Cup_team Ukrainian_Basketball_SuperLeague Ukraine_national_rugby_union_team Ukraine_national_basketball_team Ukraine_at_the_2008_Summer_Olympics Ukrainian_People's_Republic
activist
Bulatov
Ukraine
Ukraine Ukraine_national_football_team Ukrainian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic List_of_non-marine_molluscs_of_Ukraine Football_Federation_of_Ukraine ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Ukraine Ukraine_women's_national_football_team Ukraine_national_cerebral_palsy_football_team Ukraine_national_under-21_football_team Ukraine_national_under-19_football_team Ukraine_Fed_Cup_team Ukrainian_Basketball_SuperLeague Ukraine_national_rugby_union_team Ukraine_national_basketball_team Ukraine_at_the_2008_Summer_Olympics Ukrainian_People's_Republic
activist
Dmytro Bulatov
Dmytro_Bulatov
Bulatov
Bulatov
Vilnius
Vilnius Vilnius_Voivodeship Vilnius_County Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Vilnius Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Vilnius Vilnius_University Siemens_Arena Vilnius_District_Municipality Vilnius_Airport Vilna_Ghetto Trolleybuses_in_Vilnius Vilna_Governorate Vilnius_Offensive FC_Vilnius Bishop_of_Vilnius Vilnius_Region
Lithuania
Lithuania Lithuania_national_football_team Lithuania_men's_national_basketball_team Grand_Duchy_of_Lithuania Lithuanian_Football_Federation Lietuvos_krepšinio_lyga Lithuanian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic Lithuania_national_under-21_football_team Lithuania_Davis_Cup_team Lithuania_women's_national_football_team Lithuania_women's_national_basketball_team Lithuania_national_rugby_union_team Football_in_Lithuania ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Lithuania Lithuania_Fed_Cup_team Elections_in_Lithuania
Thursday
January 22
Bulatov
group
Automaidan
AutoMaidan
Ukraine
Ukraine Ukraine_national_football_team Ukrainian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic List_of_non-marine_molluscs_of_Ukraine Football_Federation_of_Ukraine ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Ukraine Ukraine_women's_national_football_team Ukraine_national_cerebral_palsy_football_team Ukraine_national_under-21_football_team Ukraine_national_under-19_football_team Ukraine_Fed_Cup_team Ukrainian_Basketball_SuperLeague Ukraine_national_rugby_union_team Ukraine_national_basketball_team Ukraine_at_the_2008_Summer_Olympics Ukrainian_People's_Republic
President
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor_Yanukovych 2014_Ukrainian_revolution Viktor_Viktorovych_Yanukovych
European Union
European_Union European_Boxing_Union Member_state_of_the_European_Union European_Union_(resistance_group) Citizenship_of_the_European_Union Renewable_energy_in_the_European_Union European_Union_law Accession_of_Albania_to_the_European_Union Elections_to_the_European_Parliament Solar_energy_in_the_European_Union European_Union_Special_Representative European_Economic_Community Flag_of_Europe Pakistan–European_Union_relations LGBT_rights_in_the_European_Union History_of_the_European_Union
November
Bulatov
$50,000
36,800 euros
United States
United_States United_States_men's_national_soccer_team United_States_men's_national_ice_hockey_team United_States_women's_national_soccer_team United_States_national_rugby_union_team American_poetry United_States_men's_national_junior_ice_hockey_team United_States_Soccer_Federation Secondary_education_in_the_United_States Recording_Industry_Association_of_America United_States_men's_national_basketball_team United_States_Davis_Cup_team United_States_national_cricket_team Cinema_of_the_United_States Education_in_the_United_States Same-sex_marriage_in_the_United_States
Bulatov
Lithuania
Lithuania Lithuania_national_football_team Lithuania_men's_national_basketball_team Grand_Duchy_of_Lithuania Lithuanian_Football_Federation Lietuvos_krepšinio_lyga Lithuanian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic Lithuania_national_under-21_football_team Lithuania_Davis_Cup_team Lithuania_women's_national_football_team Lithuania_women's_national_basketball_team Lithuania_national_rugby_union_team Football_in_Lithuania ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Lithuania Lithuania_Fed_Cup_team Elections_in_Lithuania
news agency
Reuters
Reuters Reuters_Group Thomson_Reuters Paul_Reuter Reuter
Ukraine
Ukraine Ukraine_national_football_team Ukrainian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic List_of_non-marine_molluscs_of_Ukraine Football_Federation_of_Ukraine ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Ukraine Ukraine_women's_national_football_team Ukraine_national_cerebral_palsy_football_team Ukraine_national_under-21_football_team Ukraine_national_under-19_football_team Ukraine_Fed_Cup_team Ukrainian_Basketball_SuperLeague Ukraine_national_rugby_union_team Ukraine_national_basketball_team Ukraine_at_the_2008_Summer_Olympics Ukrainian_People's_Republic
Ukraine
Ukraine Ukraine_national_football_team Ukrainian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic List_of_non-marine_molluscs_of_Ukraine Football_Federation_of_Ukraine ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Ukraine Ukraine_women's_national_football_team Ukraine_national_cerebral_palsy_football_team Ukraine_national_under-21_football_team Ukraine_national_under-19_football_team Ukraine_Fed_Cup_team Ukrainian_Basketball_SuperLeague Ukraine_national_rugby_union_team Ukraine_national_basketball_team Ukraine_at_the_2008_Summer_Olympics Ukrainian_People's_Republic
2004
Yanukovych
Viktor_Yanukovych
Party of the Regions
Party_of_Regions
Tuesday
Wednesday
Party of the Regions
Party_of_Regions
speaker
Volodymyr Rybak
Volodymyr_Vasylyovych_Rybak Volodymyr_Ivanovych_Rybak
Wednesday
EU
European_Union Europe List_of_European_records_in_swimming Eu,_Seine-Maritime E.U._(TV_series) European_Hot_100_Singles .eu European_Top_100_Albums Europium International_Federation_of_the_Phonographic_Industry United_Left_(Galicia) Experience_Unlimited United_Left_of_the_Balearic_Islands Esquerra_de_Menorca United_Extremadura Citizenship_of_the_European_Union
foreign policy chief
Catherine Ashton
Catherine_Ashton
US
United_States Billboard_200 Billboard_Hot_100 Recording_Industry_Association_of_America United_States_dollar Nielsen_SoundScan Billboard_charts Hot_Country_Songs Unincorporated_territories_of_the_United_States Billboard_(magazine) Dance_Club_Songs Federal_government_of_the_United_States American_English RIAA_Certification .us Us_(Peter_Gabriel_album)
EU
European_Union Europe List_of_European_records_in_swimming Eu,_Seine-Maritime E.U._(TV_series) European_Hot_100_Singles .eu European_Top_100_Albums Europium International_Federation_of_the_Phonographic_Industry United_Left_(Galicia) Experience_Unlimited United_Left_of_the_Balearic_Islands Esquerra_de_Menorca United_Extremadura Citizenship_of_the_European_Union
ph/dr (Reuters, dpa)
United States
United_States
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe0 type::location
Ukraine
Ukraine
slot::in slot::keyword topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe0 type::location
Dmytro Bulatov
Dmytro_Bulatov
gender::male iptc::11000000 slot::keyword topic::politics type::activist type::entity type::person
Vilnius
Vilnius
slot::in slot::keyword topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe2 type::location
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor_Yanukovych
gender::male iptc::11000000 slot::keyword topic::politics type::entity type::head_of_state type::person type::politician
Party of the Regions
Party_of_Regions
iptc::11000000 slot::keyword topic::politics type::entity type::organization type::party
European Union
European_Union
iptc::11000000 topic::politics type::entity type::igo type::organization type::so
activist
topic::none type::role type::value
Lithuania
Lithuania
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe0 type::location
Thursday
topic::none type::time type::value
January 22
topic::none type::time type::value
group
topic::none type::role type::value
Automaidan
AutoMaidan
iptc::11000000 topic::politics type::entity type::movement type::organization
President
topic::none type::role type::value
November
topic::none type::time type::value
$50,000
topic::none type::money type::value
36,800 euros
topic::none type::money type::value
news agency
topic::none type::role type::value
Reuters
Reuters
topic::media type::entity type::media type::organization
2004
topic::none type::time type::value
Tuesday
topic::none type::time type::value
Wednesday
topic::none type::time type::value
speaker
topic::none type::role type::value
Volodymyr Rybak
Volodymyr_Vasylyovych_Rybak
gender::male iptc::11000000 topic::politics type::entity type::person type::politics_per
foreign policy chief
topic::none type::role type::value
Catherine Ashton
Catherine_Ashton
gender::female iptc::11000000 topic::politics type::entity type::person type::politician
ph/dr (Reuters, dpa)
topic::none type::footer type::other