Draft laws on collaboration registered in the Parliament: religious organizations to be also penalized

The Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine has registered draft laws 5143 and 5144 “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts (concerning the establishment of criminal liability for collaboration activities)”.

This was reported by MP Yevhenia Kravchuk on Facebook.

The draft law “establishes additional legal grounds for the liquidation of political parties, public, charitable or religious organizations, trade unions and public formations for the protection of public order and the state border, whose authorized persons were involved in cooperation with the occupiers.

According to the MP, the relevant committee will now work on this legislative initiative. The wording may change, but, as she says: “we will launch a broad discussion with the involvement of experts because this is important for restoring justice and protecting Ukrainian statehood in all spheres of its life.”

If these draft laws are adopted by the Verkhovna Rada, they will:

✅ Restrict the access of collaborators to positions related to the performance of state or local government functions for a period of 1️⃣5️⃣ years.

✅ Provide for other appropriate penalties for persons who cooperated with the aggressor state, its occupation administration and/or its armed or paramilitary groups.

In particular, the following will be recognized as collaboration activities:

▪️ Public denial by a citizen of Ukraine of the implementation of armed aggression against Ukraine, establishment and approval of temporary occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine or public calls by a citizen of Ukraine to:
1) support for decisions and/or actions of the aggressor state, armed formations and/or occupation administration of the aggressor state;
2) cooperation with the aggressor state, armed formations and/or
occupation administration of the aggressor state;
3) non-recognition of the extension of state sovereignty of Ukraine over the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine;

▫️ Deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a period of ten to fifteen years.

▪️ The voluntary holding of a position by a citizen of Ukraine that is not related to the performance of organizational, administrative or economic functions in illegal authorities established in the temporarily occupied territory, including in the occupation administration of the aggressor state.

▫️ Deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a period of 10 to 15 years with or without confiscation of property.

▪️ Propaganda carried out by a citizen of Ukraine in educational institutions, as well as actions of Ukrainian citizens aimed at implementing the educational standards of the aggressor state.

▫️ Correctional labor for up to 2 years or arrest for up to 6 months, or imprisonment for up to 3 years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a period of 10 to 15 years.

▪️ Transfer of material resources to illegal armed or paramilitary formations established in the temporarily occupied territory and/or armed or paramilitary formations of the aggressor state, and/or carrying out economic activities in cooperation with the aggressor state, illegal authorities established in the temporarily occupied territory, including the occupation administration of the aggressor state.

▫️ The fine of up to 10 thousand non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens or imprisonment for a period of 3 to 5 years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a period of 10 to 15 years and confiscation of property.

▪️ Voluntary holding by a citizen of Ukraine of a position related to the performance of organizational, administrative or administrative-economic functions in illegal authorities or voluntary election to such bodies, as well as participation in the organization and conduct of illegal elections and/or referendums in the temporarily occupied territory, or public calls for such illegal elections and/or referendums in the temporarily occupied territory.

▫️ Imprisonment for a period of 5 to 10 years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a period of 10 to 15 years and with or without confiscation of property.

▪️ Organization and conduct of political events and/or implementation of information activities in cooperation with the aggressor state, and/or its occupation administration, aimed at supporting the aggressor state, its occupation administration or armed formations and/or avoiding responsibility for armed aggression against Ukraine, participation in such activities.

▫️ Imprisonment for a period of 10 to 12 years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a period of ten to fifteen years and with or without confiscation of property.

▪️ The voluntary holding of a position by a citizen of Ukraine in illegal judicial or law enforcement agencies, as well as voluntary participation of a citizen of Ukraine in illegal armed or paramilitary formations created in the temporarily occupied territory and/or in armed formations of the aggressor state, or providing such formations with assistance in conducting combat operations against the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations of Ukraine.

▫️ Imprisonment for a period of 12 to 15 years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a period of 10 to 15 years and with or without confiscation of property.

✅ Creates legal conditions (by establishing criminal liability for collaboration activities) for the liquidation of legal entities whose authorized persons collaborated with the aggressor state.

✅ Extends to such a criminal offense the possibility of a special pre-trial investigation (in absentia-in the absence of the accused).

5️⃣1️⃣4️⃣3️⃣ “On amendments to certain legislative acts (concerning ensuring the responsibility of persons who carried out collaboration activities)”, which:

✅ Complements the previous draft law in terms of restricting access to certain functions related to the conduct of elections at all levels, as well as access to military service and access to state secrets for persons who collaborated with the aggressor state, its occupation administration and/or its armed or paramilitary formations.

✅ Establishes additional legal grounds for the liquidation of political parties, public, charitable or religious organizations, trade unions and public formations for the protection of public order and the state border, whose authorized persons carried out such cooperation.

RISU, risu.ua