Ukraine passes law allowing certain prisoners to join military ranks
2:51 PM EDT, May 8, 2024
On Wednesday, the Supreme Council, Ukraine's parliament, passed legislation permitting the release of certain prisoners to enlist in military service on a contract basis amid mobilization and wartime conditions.
Furthermore, this provision does not extend to convicts who, before their sentencing, held high governmental roles such as ministers and deputies, nor to those found guilty of producing, distributing, or possessing narcotics.
Prisoners to be sent to the frontline
As Olena Shulak, a governing Servant of the People party member, specified, only those whose sentences conclude within the next three years are eligible for early release to undertake military service. Shulak highlighted in her statement to Ukrainska Pravda that prisoners with more extended sentences, including those serving life, will be unequivocally denied this option without the possibility of appeal.
The news outlet added that if an individual reoffends while in military service under this conditional release, their subsequent incarceration will be prolonged by the duration of their service in the armed forces.
The judiciary will make the final decision on such early releases to military duty after seeking advice from a medical board, recruitment command, and the prospective unit.
Those formerly incarcerated, now serving as soldiers, will be assigned exclusively to special military units established by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The commander of these units will exercise administrative oversight over the individuals, Shulak shared.
In April, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a new mobilization law instituting several adjustments to the current conscription system. The legislation enhances the ability of authorities to dispatch military summons electronically and aims to improve the assessment of Ukraine's personnel resources.
