Parliament passes law on liability for ‘sale’ of humanitarian aid

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed the Law “On Amendments to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Ukraine Concerning Liability for the Use of Humanitarian Aid during Martial Law” (No.7146).

The document was supported by 356 MPs, Ukrinform reports with reference to the Telegram channel of an MP from the Holos parliamentary faction, Yaroslav Zhelezniak.

The document envisages that the use during the martial law of humanitarian aid, charitable donations or free aid in a significant amount for other purposes, namely for profit or personal enrichment, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of three to seven years with or without property confiscation.

Similar acts committed by a person who has previously committed the relevant crime or by prior agreement of a group of persons, or by an official using power or official position, or on a large scale, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of seven to ten years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years and with confiscation of property.

At the same time, such acts committed by an organized group or on a particularly large scale shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of ten to twelve years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years and confiscation of property.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities, conducting massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

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