“The law looks like a document that provides an opportunity for new political elites to redistribute property of those who are now abroad, and criminal cases have been opened (or will be opened) on them. But together with these persons, all citizens of Ukraine fall within the law. In practice, the rights of all citizens without exception are infringed. Now anyone can be condemned in absentia”, – commented the head of the Odessa City Organization of the European Party of Ukraine, the Deputy Head of the Party Ruslan Chernolutsky on his Facebook page on the Law No.5610 “On amending the Criminal Procedural Code of Ukraine on Improving the Mechanisms for Ensuring the Purposes of Criminal Justice Proceedings”, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. – “The main motivation of the authors of the draft law is to resume judicial proceedings against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, accused of high treason. But regarding to the rules on absentee conviction in the current version, the law actually returns the repressive provisions of the Soviet Code of Criminal Procedure and deprives Ukrainians of the right to protection and personal freedom, or may return the country in the Middle Ages”.
“This is another dictatorial law that will be applied selectively not only to former and current politicians and officials. It will infringe the rights of all citizens of Ukraine, and not only the leaders of the regime of Yanukovych”, – notes Ruslan Chernolutsky.
Press-service of the European Party of Ukraine