Convict mobilisation bill to be submitted to Ukraine's parliament next week

A draft law on the potential mobilisation of convicted and imprisoned persons may be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, next week.

Source: Denys Maliuska, Minister of Justice, on the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "I think it will be registered next week. At the next session meetings of the Verkhovna Rada, it will be voted on in the first reading and the second as well. I expect that will be in spring, no later, and I think not even the end of spring."

Details: The minister noted that "there are a lot (thousands) of prisoners and convicts who are prepared to become military personnel" and defend their country.

Maliuska said that at the request of the military, the bill will exclude the mobilisation of convicts who violated military discipline, committed crimes related to the performance of their military duty, or committed crimes against statehood.

"Mobilisation will probably not apply to such categories. But parliament will have the last word. I do not expect consideration in parliament to be delayed, because so far I have not met a single politician, MP or Armed Forces leader who would actively oppose it," Maliuska said.

At the same time, Maliuska said, not all military commanders are prepared to accept convicts in their units.

"We won’t force such mobilised servicemen on anyone. Most likely, these will be separate detachments. But in any case, only commanders who understand who they will be dealing with, and how to work with that, will receive appropriate units so that they can defend their homeland," the minister said.

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