Shocking Initiatives of the Ministry of Justice: Paid Cameras and Live Auctions

The Ministry of Justice continues to stun Ukrainians. The Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska offered to give officials and politicians certificates for the use of paid cameras of increased comfort in domestic detention centers.

Earlier, the public learned about live auctions. It turned out that the Ministry of Justice confiscated pets from citizens and sold them. The department found many live lots. In addition to dogs, there are even cows, chickens and turkeys. Moreover, they plan to put up for auction a lot with three lions – Ricci, Witold, Bagira and five bears – Balu, Masha, Anna, Potap and Timosha.

Society’s reaction to such “innovations” was sharply negative, honestly. Animal rights activists arranged a “corridor of shame” for the Minister, and pet owners were outraged by the replenishment of the state budget through the sale of pets. Instead, the Ukrainians suggested that the paid cells in the pre-trial detention center be allocated, first of all, not to the authorities, but to ordinary citizens, whose rights are grossly violated in places of restraint of liberty. Promote Ukraine gathered different opinions from experts.

Vladyslav Bovsunovsky, Head of the All-Ukrainian Committee for People’s Control

Paid cameras in a pre-trial detention center are a tragedy. Every Ukrainian who has read the Constitution believes in the rule of law, the presumption of innocence and other declared values. The fact is that the detainees did not receive a sentence. Their guilt is not proven; only freedom is limited. But restriction of freedom does not mean deprivation of all rights, especially the right to life and health.

Cockroaches, unsanitary conditions, fungus, sleep in turn – nothing has changed in the pre-trial detention center since the late 1980s. For a long time, society was told that it was because of poverty that the state had no money for repairs. And then suddenly it turned out that there is. Only for ordinary mortals the conditions will be hellish, and for those who paid – at the hotel level.

And this inequality is advertised…. by the Minister of Justice. Justice! I thought he should be concerned that people had been in jail for years without a sentence, that the prosecutor’s office is deliberately delaying the proceedings in which the prosecutor loses the case. Instead, the Minister came up with a business. Very cynical.

Oleksandr Talamanchuk, Lawyer

Perhaps Denys Maliuska perceives such statements as the beginning of a crusade against witches and other corrupt officials, as he announces the availability of gift certificates as an absolute creative – and exclusive of the current government. But no country in the world allows itself to mock human rights so proudly. First, Ukraine has acknowledged at the government level that being in a pre-trial detention center does not really correspond to even minimal human rights. Otherwise, for what is such popularity with improved content cameras?

Secondly, there are well-founded fears that all this will not be followed by the most adequate steps by law enforcement agencies. Therefore, the certificates will be voluntarily and compulsorily donated by representatives of the department of Arsen Avakov (Minister of Internal Affairs – ed.). But to whom it is a big question.

Oleksandr Chistyakov, Independent Expert

Are we thrown back into the Middle Ages in the 21st century, with all the statements about the humanisation of society by the decision of officials? I’m talking about live pet auctions.

Commenting on this dishonest situation, the Minister of Justice was forced to admit that in Ukrainian law a dog is considered a thing! In my opinion, today a dog is being taken away for debts, and tomorrow it will be the turn of other family members to go into slavery. These actions nullify the Law on the Protection of Animals from Cruelty, adopted on the initiative of the public.

Moreover, selling animals for debt makes no financial sense. The sums that were raised are ridiculous and have no significance for the budget. For example, a pit bull terrier girl was sold at auction at a starting price of UAH 112.5. An Eastern European shepherd was also put up for auction. Its starting price was UAH 1,300.

Dmytro Revun, Deputy Head of the Juvenile Prevention Department in Odesa

I think that the Ministry of Justice should deal, first of all, with the tasks provided for in the Regulations of this Ministry, because the solution of legal issues directly affects our lives. There are enough problems with justice in Ukraine, in particular, in the field of probation (the main purpose of its activities is to protect society, prevent recidivism, promote the reintegration of the offender into society, etc.). And the priority in the work of the domestic legal system should not be certificates for the improved cells of the pre-trial detention center, but steps to ensure and form a state policy in the field of enforcement. We must not forget that the main task of the Ministry of Justice is to develop draft laws and other regulations on which our society should exist.

Natalia Tolub