On 19 June, the representatives of the Human rights Ombudsman in the Donetsk People’s Republic attended a plenary meeting of the spring session of the DPR People’s Council the second convocation.
Thus, taking into account the need to ensure the protection of an individual, society and the state of the Donetsk People’s Republic from illegal encroachments in the field of public security, entailing negative phenomena of colossal scale and consequences that disrupt the normal functioning of state bodies, as well as hinder the development of civil society and the formation of the national welfare of citizens, parliamentarians in two readings generally adopted one of the alternative draft laws “On amendments to the Law of the DPR №46 – IHC of 15.05.2015 “On countering terrorism” was adopted in two readings by the parliamentarians.
According to the adopted amendments, the range of required and urgent response measures implemented by the competent authorities in order to counter terrorism and, consequently, to eliminate the threat to the state security of the Donetsk People’s Republic, is expanding. At the same time, the amount of special powers of the Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Government of the Donetsk People’s Republic, aimed at preventing the carrying out acts of terrorist activity, is distinguished. Also, the draft Law affects the competence of the Head of the DPR and the Government of the DPR regarding the application of certain legal means and methods for the prevention and elimination of an already existing terrorist criminal act. Local self-government bodies, which, in turn, are also endowed with a range of powers to counter terrorism, were not left without attention.
In addition to the above amendments, the draft law establishes a special limitation period, during which a victim of a terrorist act, who has suffered harm to his health, will be entitled to file a claim for compensation for harm caused to life and health. Moreover, it provides for the entrenchment of an appropriate special limitation period for the submission of claims on compensation for property damage caused by the act of terrorism, which was committed.
The draft law “On amendments to the Criminal Code of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Article 124 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Donetsk People’s Republic”, similarly, was adopted in two readings by unanimous decision of the deputies of the People’s Council of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
Thus, in the Criminal Code of the Donetsk People’s Republic, new signs of corpus delicti will be introduced, providing for the onset of criminal liability for the financing of extremist activities and acts of international terrorism. In connection with this, the draft law also determines the jurisdiction of criminal cases in this category. That is, the investigation of the crime of “acts of international terrorism” will be carried out by the Ministry of State Security of the Donetsk People’s Republic, and the crime of “financing of extremist activities” by the law enforcement agency that has opened a criminal case.
The amendments made to the Criminal Law will strengthen the foundations of public order, and thereby contribute to the improvement of the criminal law regulation of the protection of citizens.
The above laws will come into force after being published on the official website of the People’s Council.
