The MPs from UKROP Vitaliy Kupriy, Valentyn Didych and Andriy Denysenko have registered in the Verkhovna Rada the draft law № 5415 “On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine prohibiting persons, authorized to perform state or local governmental functions, to stay on the occupied territory”.
Adoption of this document should limit the impact of the country-aggressor on statesmen and protect them from illegal attacks of the occupants, said Vitaliy Kupriy at the press briefing in Parliament. “In particular, it concerns MPs and deputies of local councils, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, law enforcement officials, judges, and the military while they are not on duty,” said the politician.
According to the MP, under the conditions of hybrid war the officials who hold important positions and stay on the occupied territories are threatened to be kidnapped, tortured or imprisoned on fabricated criminal cases. And these cases will be not only a personal tragedy for the families of the captives, they will also cause considerable financial and diplomatic losses for the country, said Vitaliy Kupriy.
On the other hand, the secret services of the Russian Federation on the territories controlled by the occupants also have the opportunities for recruiting Ukrainian officials and pressing on them. “Starting to assume their responsibilities, some officials get access to state secrets at different levels. With the arrival of these officials to the occupied zone, Ukraine risks to lose these secrets,” said the member of the UKROP political council, MP Valentyn Didych.
If the bill is adopted, the violators of forbiddance on entry to the occupied territories will be charged with a fine, and re-crossing of the border will be punished with deprivation of liberty and the right to hold certain positions. In addition, the officials will not be allowed to go on vacation to the Crimea and to spend money there, in the best interests of the aggressor’s state budget. Also the document stipulates the status of the occupied territories for the zone of antiterrorist operation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Answering the question about the fact that the proposed initiative will not allow the officials who have relatives on the occupied territories, to visit them, Vitaliy Kupriy said that this will be another incentive for patriotic residents of uncontrolled areas to leave these territories. But at the same time Ukraine should create adequate conditions for those families who are willing to relocate and support them financially.
