AKIPRESS.COM - Ongoing unrest in the eastern Ukraine “risks destabilizing” the rest of the country, Famagusta Gazette reported referring to Ivan Simonovic, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights.

Government buildings were stormed by local protesters last Saturday. The unrest follows a referendum in March in which the region of Crimea voted to secede from the country and join the Russian Federation.

“The situation in the east, if not adequately addressed as a matter of priority, risks seriously destabilizing the country as a whole. Those who exercise influence over the situation should take immediate action to halt the violence. The arming of the protesters and their transformation in to quasi-paramilitary forces must be stopped,” Simonovic underlined.

He visited Ukraine twice in recent months.

He said that progress is still to be made in bringing to justice the perpetrators of serious human rights violations committed during protests in Kiev in which 121 people were killed.

The UN Assistant Secretary-General added that attacks on the ethnic Russian community were isolated incidents which were then exaggerated through what he called “biased media reporting.”

He said the media significantly contributed to a climate of fear and insecurity in the country.