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10-05-2024, 08:15 PM
Ukraine can recruit up to 20,000 convicts into army, Justice Minister says, this could fill its ranks with as many as 20,000 convicts in a move that also help ease overcrowding in Ukrainian prisons, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska told BBC Ukraine on May 10.
Ukraine's parliament, has passed a bill on May 8 permitting convicted of certain offenses can serve in military, paving way for voluntary mobilization of prisoners. Proposal was first submitted to parliament in March as Ukraine's efforts to replenish ranks in Armed Forces amid on war with Russia.
Deputy Justice Minister in March proposal says could free up 50,000 recruits among those who already served their sentence, as well as 26,000 of those who are currently imprisoned. Maliuska said he supported the bill but that it is up to Ukraine's Armed Forces "to determine who is suitable for them and who is not."
While prisoners who are serving sentences due to "extreme" crimes should be left to serve their sentences, Ukraine could recruit 10,000 to 20,000 convicts, Maliuska estimated. "Question is in approaches. I say the numbers are completely uncalculated, because depending on each scenario, the number will be different," Maliuska said. He acknowledged such move is 100% echo Russia's policy of recruiting prisoners.
50,000 of whom joined the notorious Wagner Group in 2022 and were deployed in costly assaults against Ukrainian positions.
"Of course, there is a parallel. You should not deceive yourself, but it is still a matter of a difference in approaches," Maliuska argued recruiting convicts would help solve overcrowding in Ukrainian prisons.
The number of inmates per prison fluctuates depending on the region & type of detention, "the concentration of people per average institution has increased significantly" since full-scale invasion, pre-trial detention centers face most overcrowding, in big cities there is huge overcrowding," Maliuska said.
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-coul...-convicts/
Ukraine's parliament, has passed a bill on May 8 permitting convicted of certain offenses can serve in military, paving way for voluntary mobilization of prisoners. Proposal was first submitted to parliament in March as Ukraine's efforts to replenish ranks in Armed Forces amid on war with Russia.
Deputy Justice Minister in March proposal says could free up 50,000 recruits among those who already served their sentence, as well as 26,000 of those who are currently imprisoned. Maliuska said he supported the bill but that it is up to Ukraine's Armed Forces "to determine who is suitable for them and who is not."
While prisoners who are serving sentences due to "extreme" crimes should be left to serve their sentences, Ukraine could recruit 10,000 to 20,000 convicts, Maliuska estimated. "Question is in approaches. I say the numbers are completely uncalculated, because depending on each scenario, the number will be different," Maliuska said. He acknowledged such move is 100% echo Russia's policy of recruiting prisoners.
50,000 of whom joined the notorious Wagner Group in 2022 and were deployed in costly assaults against Ukrainian positions.
"Of course, there is a parallel. You should not deceive yourself, but it is still a matter of a difference in approaches," Maliuska argued recruiting convicts would help solve overcrowding in Ukrainian prisons.
The number of inmates per prison fluctuates depending on the region & type of detention, "the concentration of people per average institution has increased significantly" since full-scale invasion, pre-trial detention centers face most overcrowding, in big cities there is huge overcrowding," Maliuska said.
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-coul...-convicts/
