The government has prepared a draft law on the rules for the work of authorities and people under occupation. What would count as collaborationism and what would not?

The Cabinet of Ministers submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law on amendments to the law on the legal regime in the occupied territories of Ukraine. It will establish the rules of what can be done to the authorities and people under occupation, and what not.

This is stated in draft law No. 7646.

The draft law stipulates that any contacts between people, businesses and state authorities with representatives of the occupation administrations, the military of the aggressor country, etc. are prohibited, with certain exceptions. The government determines that intelligence and counter-intelligence, as well as the fight against terrorism, are carried out in the occupied territories. In this regard, any cooperation with the occupiers should not harm Ukraine.

Ukrainian state bodies in the occupied territories may:

• carry out measures to ensure peopleʼs rights and freedoms;
• carry out investigative activities;
• conduct a pre-trial investigation;
• solve humanitarian problems;
• provide housing services to the population;
• comply with international treaties, Geneva Conventions, and humanitarian law;
• protect cultural values;
• carry out civil protection of the population (extinguish fires, carry out evacuations, protect against epidemics, eliminate the consequences of emergency situations);
• carry out measures to prolong the serving of sentences, as well as to protect the rights of convicts;
• carry out measures for the safety of nuclear and radiation facilities, protect critical infrastructure;
• organize the burial of the dead;
• protect the environment and nature reserves;
• help people and businesses that do not violate this law.

People and businesses under occupation are also prohibited from cooperating with the occupiers, but they can:

• pay and deliver pension or cash assistance to people;
• help ensure human rights;
• conduct civil protection of the population;
• protect cultural values;
• solve humanitarian problems, provide medical and social services;
• manufacture and sell medicines;
• provide humanitarian aid;
• provide housing services to the population;
• work in the fields of energy, as well as in the oil and gas and coal, electricity and gas markets, if energy resources are not supplied to the territory of the aggressor country;
• carry out educational activities without propagandizing the occupation and without setting the standards of education of the aggressor country;
• carry out measures to prolong the serving of sentences, as well as to protect the rights of convicts;
• organize the burial of the dead;
• protect the environment and nature reserves;
• work in the banking and financial sphere if supervision is carried out by the National Bank of Ukraine;
• work in the field of electronic communications and mail;
• transport cargo and passengers;
• produce agricultural products;
• work in the field of trade and catering.

The government also proposes to amend the Criminal Code regarding punishment for collaborationism. They want to point out that those businessmen who voluntarily start cooperating with the occupation administrations will be considered collaborators.