Parliament adopts law on voluntary mobilization of prisoners
At a plenary session on Wednesday, May 8, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law on the voluntary mobilization of certain categories of prisoners. The corresponding draft law No. 11079-1 was supported in the second reading and in general by 279 MPs.
The draft law was initiated by the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff, and supported by the Ministry of Justice.
Prisoners who want to be mobilized will be able to join the army by court order under the mechanism of conditional release.
A mandatory condition has been established – no more than three years should remain until the end of their sentence. Prisoners with longer sentences and life sentences will be denied immediately without the right of review.
This category of mobilized persons will serve in special units. Administrative supervision of such discharged persons will be carried out by the commander of the military unit where they are placed.
About 500 amendments were submitted to draft law 11079-1, which was voted on in the first reading on April 10. Of these, about 80 were taken into account, including a ban on parole for military service for those serving sentences for serious corruption offenses and for persons who held particularly responsible positions.
Prisoners for crimes cannot be mobilized:
- against the foundations of Ukraine’s national security;
- intentional murder of two or more persons, or combined with rape;
- sexual violence;
- those who have a criminal conviction for committing criminal offenses under Articles 152 – 156-1 (crimes against sexual freedom), 258 – 258-6 (terrorism), part four of Article 286-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (fatal road traffic accidents), if such convictions have not been expunged or removed in accordance with the procedure established by law.
- Those who have attempted to kill law enforcement officers;
- those who have committed particularly serious corruption violations;
- those who held a particularly responsible position regardless of the article of the crime (ministers, deputies, their deputies and assistants, etc.).
“The only way to survive in an all-out war against an enemy with more resources is to consolidate all forces. This draft law is about our struggle and the preservation of Ukrainian statehood,” said the author of the draft law, Olena Shulyak (Servant of the People).
On May 18, a new law on mobilization comes into force in Ukraine, which obliges conscripts, persons liable for military service and reservists to provide their credentials to the Military and Civilian Conscription Commission within 60 days.
