The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine considers the possibility of expanding the powers of the National Guard servicemen to allow them to apply a wider range of compulsory measures against Ukrainians. These are the use of sticks, electric stuners and tear gas. Today, in the first reading, the Ukrainian Parliament supported the Bill No. 10311, which makes significant changes to the Law on the National Guard of Ukraine.
According to the People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak in his Telegram channel, 243 parliamentarians voted in favor of the document. If the law is adopted as a whole, the National Guards will be granted the legislative right to use a number of coercive means against citizens, including handcuffs, binding nets, rubber and plastic hooks, as well as electric shock devices and means of forced stopping vehicles.
The law also stipulates that the National Guards should evaluate the situation and make decisions on the use of coercive means depending on the offense and behavior of the person. However, before applying such measures, the National Guards must prevent the offender and give him enough time to stop the offense.
It is also noted that the use of compulsory measures is prohibited for pregnant women, the elderly and persons with obvious signs of disability. Regarding minor offenders, special means can only be applied in the case of a group or armed attack if other methods are disabled. Special vehicles can be used when the driver tries to avoid checking at checkpoints or does not meet the legal requirements of security officers.
