Klitschko vows to seek release of young men detained following riots near Ukrainian presidential secretariat

Vitali Klitschko, the leader of the Ukrainian opposition UDAR party, is determined to have all people arrested following riots near the presidential administration building on Bankova Street in Kyiv on December 1 released from custody.

"I will do all I can so that these guys climb the stage and stand along with us in the near future. We will be defending everyone," Klitschko said from the stage at an opposition rally at Independence Square in Kyiv on Wednesday evening.

He also warned that the courts handling the cases in relation to these people will be picketed.

It was reported earlier that Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky District Court ruled on Tuesday that all the nine young men suspected of organizing mass riots near the presidential administration building on Bankova Street on December 1 be held in custody at least for two months.

Former Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, who was speaking at the same rally, called on police, Interior Forces servicemen and government officials to join the opposition protest at Independence Square.