The latest on the detention and release of Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko by Russian police, by RFE/RL's Luke Johnson:
A Ukrainian lawmaker was detained by Russian police on March 1 ahead of a march in Moscow in memory of slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov.
Oleksiy Honcharenko was later released from police custody, but must appear before a judge on March 2 and could still face detention, his lawyer was quoted by AFP as saying.
Honcharenko told RFE/RL that there was no reason for his arrest. "I did nothing," he said, speaking from the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow. "I wore a T-shirt with portrait of Boris Nemtsov and Ukrainian words 'heroes don't die."
He said that he was beaten and taken to jail, where he spent over five hours. He said he was refused a lawyer and a request for medical treatment was ignored. He said his arrest was a "violation of all laws of Russia."
More here.
From RFE/RL's News Desk:
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on March 2 on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council.
The situation in eastern Ukraine and the February 27 murder in central Moscow of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov are expected to top discussions.
Kerry on March 1 called for a "thorough, transparent, real investigation" into Nemtsov's killing as tens of thousands marched through Moscow to mourn his death.
In Ukraine, a drop in violence and moves by Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia rebels to withdraw heavy weapons from the front line had raised hopes a shaky two-week-old cease-fire could hold.
But Ukraine's military warned on March 1 the rebels were using the truce to regroup for new attacks on government positions.
A spokesman named as major targets government-held Mariupol, a strategic port city, and Artemivsk, north of the rebel stronghold of Donetsk.
This ends our live-blogging for March 1. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our continuing coverage.
In Case You Missed It:
Well known pro-Russian activist Konstantin Dolgoff claims that he called Russia's Investigative Committee and specifically requested Goncharenko's arrest.
"An hour ago I called the representative for the Russian Investigative Committee with the request to detain Oleksiy Goncharenko," he writes. "And there it is -- just got information that Goncharenko's been detained."
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council:
