President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree pardoning 31 convicted Ukrainian soldiers. This was reported on October 8 by the press service of the head of state.
So, on the initiative of the Advisory Council on the issues of ensuring the rights and freedoms of Ukraine's defenders, the Commission under the President of Ukraine on pardon recommended the head of state to release or partially reduce the sentence for 31 convicted military men.
"Taking into account the degree of committed criminal acts, the term of the actual serving of the sentence, the personality of the convicted, their marital status, behavior before the commission of the crime and after conviction, compensation for damages and elimination of the harm caused, the opinion of the bodies of the penitentiary facilities on the advisability of pardoning and other circumstances, according to paragraph 27 of Article 106 of the Constitution of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky supported the Commission's proposal and signed the decree on pardoning these convicts", - the message says.
Such a pardon was made for the first time in the modern history of Ukraine. When determining persons for pardon, their services to the state were taken into account.
According to chairman of the Pardoning Commission Andriy Hota, persons who did not commit grave crimes were selected during the consideration of cases. The President of Ukraine personally got acquainted with the case of each soldier who was recommended to be pardoned.
Andriy Hota noted that the pardon, in particular, does not apply to cases against the military personnel who have committed a road accident while intoxicated. Also, the cases of those convicted of murder were not considered.
The Chairman of the Commission noted that a psychologist would communicate with those released from punishment, who will work on their combat injuries and help them to socialize.
Painstaking work preceded the signing of the decree. In particular, head of the Advisory Council on ensuring the rights and freedoms of Ukraine's defenders Olena Verbytska visited about 40% of the colonies, as well as correctional centers and pre-trial detention centers and held meetings with more than 200 convicted servicemen.
According to Andriy Hota, the Pardon Commission will continue to work together with the Advisory Council. Further meetings of the council's chairman with the imprisoned defenders and studying their cases are planned. Its representatives are going to visit about a hundred more places of detention by the end of the year.
At the same time, Andriy Hota informed that the Commission would consider the issue of pardon not only in relation to veterans. It was given the task not to wait for petitions for pardon, but independently look for representatives of vulnerable categories among the convicts: minors, women with children, people with disabilities, and study each case in detail. Consideration of petitions for pardon in relation to the convicted minors is now in the work.
Further meetings of the Pardon Commission will take place as the collected information is processed and meetings with the convicts are held.