Cabinet suggests recognizing public denial of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, occupation of its territories as illegal act

KYIV. Dec 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Cabinet of Ministers invites the Verkhovna Rada to recognize the public denial of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, the occupation of territories and attempts to legitimize the annexation as an illegal act.

The corresponding draft law was approved at a government meeting on Thursday.

According to the bill, publicly denying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the temporary occupation of the territories of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and attempts to legalize and legitimize the annexation of part of the territory of Ukraine, is recognized as an outrage against the victims of an aggressive war against Ukraine, humiliation of the dignity of the Ukrainian people, which is illegal and carries legal consequences.

The document proposes to define that public denial of aggression and occupation should be understood as at least one open appeal to more than one person, in which any written appeal or graphic image of the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea is expressed within the borders of the state border of a foreign state or as a separate entity outside the state border of Ukraine.

Public denial of Russia’s attempts to legalize and legitimize annexation should be understood as at least one open appeal to more than one person, in which any written denial of the actions of Russia and its officials is expressed, with the provision of legal force to regulatory legal acts and documents issued by the authorities of the Russian Federation regarding the occupied territory after February 20, 2014.

It is noted that such public denials are carried out mainly in the press, on radio, television, or with the use of other media, spread through the Internet, or using other methods of telecommunications, public speeches, demonstration of posters, slogans, and other works and distributing leaflets or other printed materials in public places.

According to the draft document, persons who are guilty of violating these norms will be held liable under the law.

With the second bill, the government proposes to establish administrative responsibility for violation of these norms.

In particular, for public denial of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, the occupation of the territories of Donbas and Crimea, and attempts to legalize and legitimize the annexation, it is proposed to punish with a fine in the amount of 1,000 to 2,000 tax-free minimum incomes of citizens.

If these actions are repeated throughout the year, then a penalty in the form of a fine in the amount of 2,000 to 3,000 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens is expected.

It is noted that the subjects of the offense in this article are national and foreign public figures, persons authorized to perform the functions of the state or local government, politically significant persons.