Ukrainian Parliament passed a law already referred to as “unconstitutional coup”

photo by telegraf.com.ua

Its provisions toughen the legislation in different spheres – from rules of conducting demonstrations to the rules for purchasing SIM cards.

235 lawmakers voted for the draft law № 3879 “On introducing amendments into the Law of Ukraine “On judicial system and a status of judges” and procedural laws on additional measures of protection of security of citizens”  by show of hands. Authors of this draft law are Vadym Kolesnichenko and Borys Oliynyk, reports UNIAN.

The initiatives on January 16 immediately drew criticism from EU and European officials who said the moves endangered democracy.

EU ambassador to Ukraine Jan Tombinski noted that the measures were pushed through by a show of hands' approval, rather than electronic counting, violating proper procedures.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said they "severely" restrict freedom.

Under the new rules, the unauthorized installation of tents, stages or amplifiers in public places would be punished by a fine of up to $640 or up to 15 days of detention. People and organizations providing facilities or equipment for unauthorized meetings would be liable to a fine of up to $1,275 or detention of up to 10 days.

Separately, the amendments to parliamentary regulations enable the parliament to strip deputies of immunity without preapproval by a special parliamentary committee.

Formally the law is called to protect judges. Pro-government politicians defended the new measures, saying they protected the public against protests that endanger public safety or the smooth operation of public institutions.

“Peaceful protest is protected by the constitution and by applicable law," Vadym Kolesnychenko, a deputy from the ruling Party of Regions and one of the authors of the new law, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. "Everything associated with [posing a] risk for people is not a peaceful demonstration. Peaceful demonstration, peaceful picketing that does not paralyze the activities of state bodies or any organizations, does not need the special attention of the government."

However, rights campaigners and opposition leaders said the new measures are intended to make it easier to tar critics of the governments as enemies of the state.

"If I say that [Vadym] Kolesnychenko acts against the public interest, this is a political activity on my part," said human rights activist Arkadiy Bushchenko. "When we say to them 'stop torturing people in prisons' -- it will be interpreted as interference in public policy. If we have a couple of dollars in our pockets, we are already foreign agents."

Ukrainian opposition politician Vitaly Klitschko said the new measures had no legal basis. "What happened today in parliament is a violation of laws," he told reporters in Kyiv.

The measures come as the government seeks to end a spate of protests that have racked Ukraine since President Viktor Yanukovich refused in November to sign a free trade deal with the European Union and boosted ties with Russia instead.