Brussels, 23/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 23 January, the spokesperson for EU foreign affairs, Maja Kocijancic, said that the European Union called for an “independent” investigation to be conducted to determine the circumstances of the trolleybus explosion in Donetsk the previous day.
The Ukrainian authorities and the pro-Russian separatists reject responsibility for the shelling that left 12 people dead. Kocijancic also said that the international humanitarian law “including as regards the treatment of prisoners”, must be respected, when around 20 Ukrainian soldiers taken prisoner by the separatists had to parade from Donetsk airport to where the trolleybus exploded, while being taunted by the population. The EU also hoped that the trilateral contact group would convene “as soon as possible” and that the parties would cease hostilities “immediately” and withdraw heavy weapons from the buffer zone (see EUROPE 11236). (CG)