The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a draft law on criminal liability for forced Russian passportization.

Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk reported.

“Unfortunately, international law does not contain norms to counteract illegal Russian passportization on the territory of Ukraine. Therefore, we must respond by strengthening criminal legislation,” the minister said.

She also clarified the essence of the legislative initiative:

  • If a civil servant receives an enemy passport, he will be imprisoned for a term of 10 to 15 years.
  • Propaganda of enemy citizenship is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 5 to 8 years.
  • Forcing Ukrainian citizens to obtain Russian passports entails imprisonment for a term of 8 to 12 years.
  • From 8 to 12 years imprisonment for creating conditions under which failure to obtain a Russian passport will lower the rights of a citizen of Ukraine or otherwise put him at a disadvantage.
  • These norms are aimed primarily at punishing the organizers of hostile passportization and their accomplices. In particular, Russian citizens who were engaged in illegal passportization on the territory of Ukraine are subject to punishment.

More details: The issue of introducing criminal liability for obtaining a Russian passport is discussed. By the way, Bohdan Lvov, the head of the Commercial Cassation Court under the Supreme Court of Ukraine, is a citizen of the Russian Federation. This is evidenced by the investigation of the journalists of the Schemes [Skhemy] project (Radio Liberty).