The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy opened the morning plenary session.
On behalf of the Parliament he expressed sincere condolences to the family and relatives of Kateryna Handziuk, a renowned public figure and an adviser of Kherson’s mayor, who had died on November 4 in a Kyiv hospital. Parliamentarians honoured her memory with moment's silence.
The presiding officer gave the floor to representatives of the parliamentary factions and groups to make their announcements, statements, reports, and proposals.
After the speeches, there was a vote for immediate summoning (today, by 12:30) law enforcers to the floor for hearing their investigation reports on offenses against social activists. The vote gathered 222 ayes.
There was announced a 30-minute recess.
The Chairman invited leaders of the factions and groups out for deliberation.
Upon the recess, the Chairman clued up the chamber of completion of the consultations on launching the ad hoc court of enquiry. He then commissioned the Committee on Rules of Parliamentary Procedure and Support to Work of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to consider the issue at its earliest convenience.
The presiding officer informed there were heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor General's Office, and the SBU in attendance. A.Parubiy gave the floor to the Prosecutor General Yurii Lutsenko, who reported on the investigation over Kateryna Handziuk’s murder. After he finished his report, Y.Lutsenko announced his resignation. Upon the prosecutor general’s report, the head of the National Police Serhii Kniazev accounted to the chamber on the same crime, having stated there had been seized six crime suspects. Vasyl Hrytsak, head of the SBU, delivered his report later on as well.
Afterwards, there was an ample debate on the issue among parliamentarians. The deliberation resulted in considering the bill No.9262 “On the creation of a parliamentary ad hoc court of enquiry for investigation of attacks on Kateryna Handziuk and other social activists”. The bill collected 259 ayes.
Laws, bills and resolutions passed
On creation of ad hoc inquiry committee
--Draft law No.9262
By 259 yea votes, the parliament passed the bill “On the creation of a parliamentary ad hoc court of enquiry for investigation of attacks on Kateryna Handziuk and other social activists”. Primary aims of the committee (court) are:
1. Fact checking on attacks against social activists.
2. Monitoring the progress in investigations over the above attacks.
3. Finding, collecting information and explanations within the committee’s remit.
4. Initiation of prosecuting the culprits by law.
As per the law, the ad hoc court’s bench makes 18 men, headed by Boryslav Bereza, MP, his deputy being Serhii Alieksieiev, MP. The committee (court) shall cease its work in three months from the date of its formation.
The parliament has commissioned the Cabinet and all state law enforcement agencies to promote the court’s activity by giving legal access to information, materials and documentation that might fall within the court’s remit.
The presiding officer closed the meeting.