The Rada created the institution of the Military Ombudsman: what will this change for the Armed Forces of Ukraine?

The Verkhovna Rada adopted in the second reading draft law No. 13266, which provides for the creation of the institution of the Military Ombudsman, an official who will protect the rights of servicemen. 283 people’s deputies voted in favor of the relevant decision.

This is reported by Censor.net.

According to the explanatory note, the purpose of the bill is to create an additional effective mechanism for monitoring compliance with the rights of military personnel without duplicating or abolishing the powers of other bodies. The Military Ombudsman will conduct a systematic analysis of violations of rights, prepare conclusions, provide recommendations to the command, and monitor compliance with protection standards.

The position will be held by a citizen of Ukraine no younger than 30 years old, with a higher education of no lower than a master’s degree, who has resided in Ukraine for the past five years, has an impeccable reputation, and is physically able to perform his duties. The Ombudsman will be appointed by the President for a term of 5 years, but not more than two consecutive terms.

Complaints to the Ombudsman will be able to be filed by both the military themselves and authorized persons. The new institute will work in cooperation with the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights – in particular, the possibility of signing a memorandum of cooperation is envisaged.

Among the main powers of the military ombudsman:

control over the observance of rights by military management bodies;

analysis of the causes and conditions of rights violations;

preparation of proposals for their elimination;

preparation of analytical reports and recommendations;

monitoring the effectiveness of human rights protection in the Armed Forces.

The law has already been passed and is expected to be signed by the President in the near future.

As a reminder, Major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Head of the Mir and Co. Charitable Foundation Myroslav Gai stated that the government’s initiatives to create the institution of a military ombudsman will not affect the current situation with the violation of the rights of servicemen, since there are no relevant tribunals in Ukraine, and cases are handled by civilian judges who do not understand military realities.

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