Ukrainian feminist protesters, photographer released

A Ukrainian court released three members of feminist group Femen and a photographer who were arrested on hooliganism charges, police said Monday. Oksana Shasko, Alexander Shevchenko and Yana Zhdanova and photographer Dmitry Kostyuchkov were arrested Saturday while attempting to take part in a topless protest scheduled to take place at celebrations in Kiev. The group was planning to demonstrate during the 1,025th anniversary celebrations of the Christianization of Kievan Rus attended by Russian and Ukraine officials. The three Femen members were fined $11 for hooliganism and Kostyuchkov was fined $17, the photographer said. "They were fined and released by a court order," a Kiev police spokesman said. The activists accused police of severely beating them and kidnapping them. Police denied the accusations, saying they merely arrested the four, RIA Novosti reported. "You know Femen, they often say that they are being beaten, but of course there was nothing," the spokesman said.