More than 3,000 Ukrainian convicts applied for military service - MP Oleksii Honcharenko
More than three thousand Ukrainian convicts have applied for military service contracts under a new parole law, European Solidarity MP Oleksii Honcharenko wrote on Telegram on May 21.
“I submitted this bill back in January," Honcharenko wrote. "Everyone has the right to defend their homeland. Finally, the mechanism has begun to work.”
Earlier, on May 17, Deputy Justice Minister Olena Vysotska said that according to an April survey, nearly 5,000 Ukrainian convicts had agreed to military service contracts under a new parole law.
"4,500 convicts answered 'yes.' It should be understood that prison administrations did not question prisoners under articles of the Criminal Code that currently do not allow mobilization," she said.
"Their state of health was not taken into account. The most important criterion is motivation."
On May 10, Justice Minister Denys Malyuska said that newly implemented conscription reform would allow the Ukrainian government to draft ten to twenty thousand currently serving convicts, or those with criminal records, to the military.
On May 8, the Ukrainian parliament passed a bill allowing certain categories of prisoners to be conscripted into the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Those convicted of grievous premeditated murder, rape, sexual violence, and crimes against national security will not be conscripted.
Read also: Russian campaign interferes with Ukraine's mobilization — Defense Ministry
We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
