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Scoop of the day: Vitaliy Markiv released from Italian prison

Scoop of the day: Vitaliy Markiv released from Italian prison

Markiv's release

An Italian court of appeal has acquitted Ukrainian National Guard member Vitaliy Markiv and released him from custody in Milan. Markiv, who was falsely accused of involvement in the killing of Italian photo reporter Andrea Rocchelli in the hostilities zone in Donbas on 24 May 2014, was initially sentenced to 24 years in prison. He has spent over 3 years behind bars.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed Markiv's release as the "victory of justice" and "truly a big day". He added that he was personally involved in negotiations on his release with the Italian leadership.

Constitutional Court

The secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, Oleksiy Danilov, has called on judges of the Constitutional Court to resign and threatened court chairman Oleksandr Tupytskyy with criminal punishment "for encroachment on some foundations of constitutional order in Ukraine".

Earlier, a number of MPs made a statement, calling on Constitutional Court judges to step down.

The Grand Chamber of the Constitutional Court has discussed the motion to check the Law of Ukraine "On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state one" but has not issued any decision.

Crime

The National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine has declared the head of the Kyiv district administrative court, Pavlo Vovk, wanted. He is suspected of abuse of authority, creation of a criminal organization aimed at seizing power and passing corrupt decisions. On 29 October, Vovk once again did not show up for a court session which was to select a measure of pre-trial restraint for him.

Donbas

One Ukrainian serviceman sustained a fragmentation wound as a result of a grenade launcher attack near Novolouhanske, the Joint Forces Operation HQ has said. The occupiers also fired from a handheld antitank grenade launcher near Vodyane.

Coronavirus

Ukraine has registered another record-high number of 8,899 daily infections and a record-high number of 5,100 recoveries. The case total since the start of the pandemic has reached 411,093 cases.

Health Minister Maksym Stepanov has said that the coronavirus has been spreading "like a hurricane" and that the situation was close to a "catastrophe", with everyone carrying personal responsibility for spreading Covid-19.

The government is considering an option of introducing a "weekend quarantine" from Friday evening to Monday morning, RBC-Ukraine has reported, quoting a well-informed source. This would include closing foodcourts, cancelling entertainment events and restricting restaurants to takeaways.

Maydan case

The State Investigation Bureau has summoned the former secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, Oleksandr Turchynov, for questioning in the case "on crimes committed in connection with the mass protests in 2013-2014. Turchynov provided no further details.

MH17 case

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said at a video conference with counterparts from the countries involved in the Joint Investigative Team that those responsible for the downing of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on 17 July 2014 will inevitably face punishment.

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