Ukraine unrest: Crisis talks 'raise hope for solution'

 An opposition leader in Ukraine has said hopes to end the deadly unrest there have risen, after crisis talks with President Viktor Yanukovych.

 Some protesters were tortured by riot police

Arseniy Yatsenyuk said there was "a high chance of halting the bloodshed".
Thousands of protesters in the capital Kiev were then asked to maintain their truce with riot police, but some booed and shouted "Shame!".
Two people died in clashes in Kiev on Wednesday, the first deaths in two months of protests over EU links.


The anti-government protests flared in late November over Mr Yanukovych's decision to pull out of a landmark treaty with the European Union.
Lviv protest
The crisis talks lasted for more than four hours on Thursday evening.
No details were given of any possible deal, but Mr Yatsenyuk was upbeat and another of the opposition leaders at the talks, former boxer Vitali Klitschko, then went to the site of the clashes in central Kiev to urge the protesters to maintain the truce he had called 24 hours before.

Vitali Klitschko had a hard time persuading protesters about the negotiations

 

Protests have spread to Lviv and other western cities

 

There are thousands at the barricades in Kiev and the atmosphere is tense

"It was not easy. We have some agreement and let's see if the people accept that or not," Mr Klitschko said.
Sources say there could be concessions on the release of activists and repealing draconian anti-protest laws passed only last week.

The opposition had earlier demanded the government step down and new elections be called.
The BBC's Daniel Stern in Kiev says it is unclear whether the ceasefire will hold as there are thousands of people at the barricades and the atmosphere is very tense.

On Wednesday evening, the opposition had given the government a 24-hour ultimatum to meet its demands.

If those were not met, Mr Klitschko said, the protesters would go on the offensive.
The BBC's Duncan Crawford, also in Kiev, says protesters are also very angry about a video showing a protester being abused by police.

The interior ministry apologised after video footage showed the protester being stripped naked and forced to stand in the snow as police took photos of him.
The man is then struck on the back of the head by a policeman.

The ministry apologised for the "unacceptable actions of the people in police uniform".
On Thursday there were signs the protests were spreading beyond Kiev.
There were demonstrations in at least six western cities, where the pro-EU opposition has significant support.

In Lviv, hundreds of protesters stormed the regional governor's office.
They forced Oleg Salo to sign his resignation on a piece of paper. "I ask to be freed of my duties," it read.

BBC journalist: "I saw a body right beneath the window"

Mr Salo, appointed by Mr Yanukovych, later said he had acted under duress and the resignation was invalid.


Hundreds of protesters stormed the governor's office in the city of Rivne, shouting "Down with the gang!" in reference to Mr Yanukovych's government.
Other reports spoke of attacks on the governor's offices in Zhytomyr, Vinnytsya, Khmelnytskiy and Ivano-Frankivsk.

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on Thursday accused protesters of trying to stage a coup.
He said: "People should not think that the government lacks available resources to put an end to this. It is our constitutional right and obligation to restore order in the country."

Hundreds of protesters and scores of police officers have been injured in clashes around Kiev's Independence Square this week.
Officials confirmed two bodies were found with bullet wounds close to the scene of clashes on Wednesday.

A third activist, Yuriy Verbytsky, was found dead in a forest outside Kiev, after reportedly being abducted this week. His body is said to bear signs of torture.