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UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION POLITICIAN RELEASED FROM CUSTODY. The Kyiv Appellate Court on 2 August released Donetsk Oblast Council head Borys Kolesnykov from custody on his own recognizance, Ukrainian news agencies reported. Kolesnykov was arrested in April on charges of extortion. The Prosecutor-General's Office subsequently charged Kolesnykov with abuse of office and threatening murder. The arrest of Kolesnykov -- a close political ally and business partner of former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych -- sparked a number of protests by opponents of President Viktor Yushchenko in Kyiv and Donetsk. The opposition believes the persecution of Kolesnykov is part of the authorities' revenge campaign against officials who supported Yanukovych during the 2004 presidential campaign. JM