Committee of VR of Ukraine on Human Rights and Interethnic Relations Considered Draft Law of Ukraine «On Restoration of Rights of Persons Deported on Ethnic Grounds»

06 June 2013

On June 5, 2013 the Committee of Human Rights, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations hold its meeting.

The Draft Law of Ukraine “On restoration of the rights of persons deported on ethnic grounds” prepared by the MP of Ukraine, Head of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People was considered during the meeting.

Mr Grigoriy Joffe, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea, Mr Valery Palchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea, Mr Peter Plaksya, Director of the Department of Protection of the Rights of Persons Deported on Ethnic Grounds and Returned to Ukraine of the Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine, Mr Volodymyr Yatsenkivskiy, Head of the Directorate General for Mattersof Ukrainians Living Abroadand Cultural–Humanitarian Cooperationof the Ministryof Foreign Affairsof Ukraine, many experts of the ministries and bodies concerned, the leading human rights experts and experts of the interethnic relations and combating discrimination were invited to discuss the Draft Law, approved by the Parliament of Ukraine in the first reading and submitted to the relevant committee to be considered in the second reading.

The long lasting and detailed discussion of the Draft Law revealed certain contradictions in the amendments proposed to the articles of the Draft Law.

Taking into consideration the broad national and international discussion around this Draft Law, the opinion of the expert community and clear position of the author aimed at preserving the integrity and balance of the Draft Law, designed to start the process of systematic overcoming of the consequences of the deportation and providing general assistance to the returned and returning repatriates, the members of the Committee decided to consider additionally the opinions expressed and return to this issue again at the next meeting of the parliamentary committee.

In his turn the MP of Ukraine Mustafa Jemilev considers the possibility to form the special working expert group in the framework of his sub-Committee to process the amendments made by other MPs and that were not supported by the members of the Committee in order to prepare a separate Draft Law on their basis.