ウクライナ議会、受刑者の入隊認める法案可決

【キーウＡＦＰ＝時事】深刻な兵員不足に直面するウクライナの最高会議（議会）は８日、受刑者の軍への入隊を可能にする法案を可決した。議長とウォロディミル・ゼレンスキー大統領の署名を経て成立する。（写真は、首都キーウの独立広場で戦死者を示す国旗の前に立つウクライナの軍人）
　ウクライナ政府はロシア軍による受刑者動員を長らく批判し、同様の措置を取ることに反対してきたが、ロシア軍の進撃を受けてこれまでの方針をひるがえした。
　入隊は任意で、刑期が残り３年未満の受刑者のみに認められる。入隊した受刑者に恩赦は与えられず、仮釈放扱いとなる。
　２人以上の殺人、性的暴力、重大な汚職で服役している受刑者、元政府高官らは対象外となる。
　受刑者の権利擁護団体は受刑者の入隊を推進してきたが、採択された法案の文面には失望したとしている。
　同団体の代表は「この法律の背景にある考え方は支持しているが、採択された法案は差別的だ」と批判。「（入隊した）受刑者には休暇が与えられない。戦争が終わるまで戦い続けろという意味かは分からないが、刑期よりも長くなる可能性がある」と説明した。
　また、受刑者を集めた「特別部隊」の創設が、受刑者の虐待につながることも懸念されている。同代表は「これはロシアと同じ、血による贖罪（しょくざい）だ。戦う意志のある（受刑）者は一つの部隊に入れられ、肉のように扱われる」と指摘した。
　ロシアの民間軍事会社ワグネルは、動員した受刑者を次々と激戦地に投入し、「肉ひき機」になぞらえていたとされる。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/05/09-17:11）

Ukraine's parliament on Wednesday passed a bill that would enable some prisoners to fight in the armed forces, as the nation faces a critical shortage of manpower on the front lines.
Long opposed to the measure and having criticised Moscow's mobilisation of prisoners to fill its ranks, Kyiv has recently U-turned amid fresh Russian advances on the battlefield.
The legislation would need to be signed by the chairperson of parliament -- the Verkhovna Rada -- and President Volodymyr Zelensky before coming into force.
The parliament has voted 'yes', MP Olena Shuliak, head of Zelensky's party, said in a Facebook post.
The draft law opens the possibility for certain categories of prisoners who expressed a desire to defend their country to join the Defence Forces, she said.
Mobilisation would be voluntary and only open to certain categories of prisoners.
Among those not eligible to serve include those found guilty of sexual violence, killing two or more people, serious corruption and former high-ranking officials, Shuliak said.
Only prisoners with under three years left on their sentence can apply, she added. Those prisoners who are mobilised are granted parole rather than a pardon.
- 'Redemption by blood' -
The organisation Protection for Prisoners of Ukraine, which had lobbied for a measure allowing prisoners to fight, was disappointed with the adopted text.
We support the idea behind the law... but the text that was passed is discriminatory, said NGO head Oleg Tsvily.
They got rid of leave for (fighting) prisoners and we don't know if they're meant to fight until the war ends -- which could mean longer than their sentence, he explained.
Tsvily also feared the creation of special units for mobilised soldiers would lead to abuse against prisoners.
It's like in Russia, redemption by blood... Anyone willing to fight will be put in one unit and commanded like meat, he said.
He was referring to reported practices from the Wagner mercenary group of sending waves of convicts into assaults likened to meat grinders.
Russia has recruited prisoners to serve on the front lines since the first days of its invasion, initially offering presidential pardons for six months' service.
The practice was spearheaded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was filmed touring Russian prisoners to recruit foot soldiers for his Wagner paramilitary group.
More than two years into the war, Kyiv is grappling with how to recruit enough soldiers to repel an intensification of Russian attacks on the front lines.
It has recently toughened measures against draft dodgers, as well as lowering the age at which men can be drafted from 27 to 25.