The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law allowing border guards to use weapons and military equipment if necessary
The bill as a whole was supported by 274 deputies, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
The draft law provides for changes to the law “On the State Border Service of Ukraine” aimed at “improving the procedure for the use and application of coercive measures, military equipment and weapons by personnel” (physical influence, special means, firearms, weapons and military equipment).
According to the document, Ukrainian border guards are now allowed to carry out a visual inspection of persons, things and vehicles, as well as “to conduct a personal inspection of detainees, establish the conditions, type and intensity of the use of coercive measures, determine the specifics of the use of a particular measure or means of coercion.”
During the discussions, among others, the bill was criticized by Verkhovna Rada deputy Grigory Mamka.
“The law on border guards exists, but in addition to the law, they also act according to regulations, regulations, and so on. Now, the provisions with regulatory acts have all been transcribed into law, normalized by law, but not completely. Because no organ can be similar to another. For example, border guards become police officers, where there is a police law.
Because the special equipment that the police have, they provide obligations and legal grounds for use. For example, this law gives permission to border guards to use stun guns when committing a crime. Question: our police officers have a legal education, border guards also have a partial legal education, who will evaluate these moments, when to use it? If there are articles in the police law, but here permission is simply given,” said Mamka.
He predicts negative consequences from the adoption of the law.
“You don’t change or add anything, but you provide such powers to use certain means, which will then create chaos in their use and in their acquisition in order to buy these stun guns,” the deputy was indignant.
However, only 5 out of 321 deputies voted against the innovations, another 45 abstained or did not take part.