Ukraine Parliament Votes to Try Ousted President at International Criminal Court

(Photo: Christiaan Triebert/cc/flickr)

Ukraine Parliament Votes to Try Ousted President at International Criminal Court

Russian Prime Minister Medvedev dismisses 'legitimacy' of interim government

Ukraine's parliament voted on Tuesday to give the International Criminal Court the authority to try ousted President Viktor Yanukovich for his alleged role in the deaths of over 100 protesters.

The vote comes a day after the interim government issued an arrest warrant for Yanukovich, who has been missing since last week.

Acting President Olexander Turchynov, meanwhile, has issued warnings of a "serious threat" of separatism, and pushed back until Thursday a vote on selecting a new unity government.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev dismissed the interim government, stating: "The government doesn't exist. There are big doubts about the legitimacy of a whole series of organs of power that are now functioning there. Some of our foreign partners, our Western partners, think differently, that those are legitimate bodies."

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, in contrast, told press on Monday: "We do believe that parliament has lawfully elected its new speaker and we support getting the situation under control in terms of law and order and in ensuring that the institutions of government are working."

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