Prisoners may be allowed to serve in Ukrainian Armed Forces: Rada supports bill
In the first reading, the Verkhovna Rada supported a draft law that provides for the permission of certain categories of imprisoned citizens to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported the co—author of the draft law No. 11079—1, Oleksiy Honcharenko, from the parliamentary hall.
The document proposes to allow those who have been sentenced to restriction of liberty or imprisonment for minor offenses to serve in the military.
According to the authors, this will create additional opportunities for manning the armed forces and provide additional motivation for prisoners "to reform and fulfill their duty to repel armed aggression against Ukraine."
The bill was adopted as a basis with revisions. It will now undergo a second reading.
Deputy Minister of Justice Olena Vysotska told public broadcaster Suspilne that the mobilization potential includes both convicts, who number about 26,000, and people who have a criminal record but have already served their sentences (about 50,000).
Those who have already served their sentences will be drafted in the same way as other persons liable for military service. And those who are currently in penal colonies will be able to apply for parole to sign a contract with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
According to Vysotska, the exceptions are those convicted under articles against national security, against statehood, collaborators, traitors, etc. As well as those convicted of war crimes.
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