Ukraine protesters leave city hall in Kiev

Protesters have ended their occupation of Kiev's city hall and other buildings in the Ukrainian capital.

Protesters unhappy with President Yanukoych's ditching of an agreement with the EU have held the building for more than two months.

Officials promised to drop charges against demonstrators if they left all government buildings by Monday.

Protest leaders say they have now fulfilled the government's conditions for an amnesty.

The BBC's David Stern in Kiev says protesters have also partially dismantled barricades on a street in central Kiev.

The protests started in November when President Viktor Yanukovych abandoned plans to sign a far-reaching association agreement with the EU.

Instead, he advocated closer trade relations with Russia, which dominated Ukraine for centuries until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Prisoners released

People began walking out of the building on Sunday morning.

The Swiss ambassador in Kiev entered the building soon afterwards in order to help transfer the building to the control of the authorities.

Switzerland currently holds the rotating presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

On Friday authorities released the last of 243 prisoners who were arrested during the unrest.

Mr Yanukovich passed an amnesty law earlier this month and agreed to negotiate with the opposition after at least four people were killed in protests.

This weekend, some opposition members continued to call for his departure, and another demonstration is due to place in Kiev's central Independence Square.

"The only subject of negotiation with Yanukovych is the conditions of his departure," jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko said on Saturday.

She went to accuse the Ukrainian president of being under the control of Russia's Vladimir Putin, his major international backer.

Analysis

The activists' decision to leave government buildings, including Kiev's city hall, and dismantle some barricades is a significant concession, and may ultimately contribute to resolving Ukraine's political crisis.

But as with all previous concessions, both from the opposition and the government, it comes with conditions - and, as such, does not amount to a breakthrough.

The protest camp now expects to see the government respond by dropping all criminal proceedings against anti-government demonstrators. But officials may decide that activists have not fulfilled all demands of the amnesty law.

And of course there remains the protesters' primary condition that President Viktor Yanukovych leave office. Until that requirement is met, activists say the Euromaidan movement will continue - and they could re-occupy the buildings that they have recently evacuated.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26215030