Ukrainian Parliament Speaker: Amendments to simplify removal of parliamentary immunity being prepared

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is preparing the legislative changes to facilitate the removal of the parliamentary immunity from MPs suspected of crimes and to deprive them of a possibility to flee Ukraine.

Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy said this at a press conference on Friday, Ukrayinska Pravda online newspaper reports.

He recalled that the Parliament’s rules so far stipulate a long procedure for removing the parliamentary immunity and granting permission for arrest of an MP, which gives a lawmaker the opportunity to leave Ukraine, as it happened in case of MP Oleksandr Onyshchenko, suspected of large-scale gas scams. He was able to flee Ukraine before the final vote on stripping immunity from him.

At the same time, the violation of this procedure results in subsequent cancellation of immunity’s removal by the courts, as in case of MP Ihor Mosiychuk.

“When we act not according to the rules, the court cancels our decisions. When we act according to the rules, this makes it possible to leave Ukraine, as it happened with Onyshchenko. That is why these changes are being prepared,” he said.

Parubiy added that he advocated lifting parliamentary immunity, but this requires amendments to the Constitution.

“If we see that we lack 300 votes to amend the Constitution, we will propose changes in the rules, including the simplification of the procedure for removing a parliamentary immunity and granting permission for detention and arrest,” Parubiy said.