A new martial law takes force in Ukraine

A new martial law took force in Ukraine on June 11. The law says that military situation is a special status that should be applied in Ukraine or in any of its regions in case of a military aggression, a threat of aggression, a threat to the country’s independence or territorial integrity and that provides relevant government authorities with powers necessary for preventing the threat.

The law stipulates temporary limitation of the constitutional rights and freedoms of individuals and the rights and legal interests of legal entities.

In case of a military situation, power should go to military administrations and the general staff of the army, which should have the authority to step up efforts to protect vital economic facilities, to oblige able-bodied people to carry out some special activities, to use the resources of all types of enterprises and organizations for defense purposes, to alienate private or communal property for the needs of the state.

They should also have the right to impose a curfew and to intern enemy citizens.

The law also allows them to ban the activities of political parties, to cancel elections, to depose the president and to dissolve the parliament.

The Supreme Rada approved the law on May 12. The president ratified it on June 8. The approval of this law does not mean that Ukraine is imposing a military situation. It is just supposed to regulate such a situation should it be ever applied.