On September 17, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted draft law No. 13266 on the introduction of the post of military ombudsman in the second reading and as a whole. 283 People’s Deputies voted for the bill, reports press service of the parliament.
The document envisages the creation of a military ombudsman institute, which will monitor the observance of the rights of military personnel, reservists, members of the territorial defense, members of the resistance movement in the occupied territories, as well as employees of law enforcement agencies involved in hostilities. Its main tasks are the identification of rights violations, the analysis of the causes of their occurrence, and the preparation of proposals for the elimination of such violations.
The military ombudsman will have the authority to send conclusions and recommendations to commanders, military administration bodies and other government structures, consider complaints and conduct inspections of possible violations. He will also be able to receive the necessary information, in particular with limited access, while he is obliged not to disclose personal data of applicants without their consent.
The appointment and dismissal of the military ombudsman will be carried out by the President of Ukraine. Every year by March 30, he must submit a public report on his activities to the President and the Verkhovna Rada. The draft law was prepared by the Ministry of Defense in cooperation with the President’s Commissioner for Military Rights, representatives of the public, lawyers and the military themselves. It was submitted to the parliament as urgent.
