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Human rights expert Onysiya Syniuk says the collaboration laws are too broad
The 2022 collaboration law was drawn up to prevent people from helping the advancing Russian army, explains Onysiya Syniuk, a legal expert at the Zmina Human Rights Centre in Kyiv.
“However, the legislation encompasses all kinds of activities, including those which don’t harm national security,” she says.
Collaboration offences range from simply denying the illegality of Russia’s invasion, or supporting it in person or online, to playing a political or military role for the occupying powers.
Accompanying punishments are tough too, with jail terms of up to 15 years.
Out of almost 9,000 collaboration cases to date, Ms Syniuk and her team have analysed most of the convictions, including Tetyana’s, and say they are concerned the legislation is too broad.
“Now people who are providing vital services in the occupied territories will also fall liable under this legislation,” says Ms Syniuk.
She thinks lawmakers should take into account the reality of living and working under occupation for more than two years.
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