The Verkhovna Rada has strengthened liability for violating sanctions: what the new law provides

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted as a basis Bill No. 12406, which introduces criminal liability for violating and circumventing economic sanctions. 254 MPs voted for the document, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported.

The new bill provides for a significant strengthening of Ukraine's sanctions policy by introducing fines and imprisonment for violations, which can be both intentional and negligent. These measures are aimed at preventing offenses related to circumventing state sanctions, which is of great importance for national security.

The main provisions of the document include the criminalization of violations and circumvention of sanctions, in particular financial ones, as well as the establishment of liability not only for deliberate actions, but also for negligence. The bill proposes penalties in the form of fines from 425 thousand to 2.04 million hryvnias or imprisonment for a term of 2 to 10 years.

An important innovation is the introduction of a threshold of 151.4 thousand hryvnias to distinguish minor offenses. In addition, the law provides for a ban on professional activity for a period of up to 15 years, and in some cases, confiscation of property of violators. The same sanctions can be applied to legal entities, including fines, confiscation of property or even liquidation of enterprises.

The draft law also expands the range of subjects of liability, including not only sanctioned persons, but also third parties involved in violations. According to the authors, the goal of the document is to create an effective legal mechanism to counteract violations of state sanctions and enhance their effectiveness in the fight for national security.

The adoption of this law will help not only increase the level of responsibility for violations of sanctions, but also have a preventive effect for potential violators. In addition, this will contribute to increasing revenues to the state budget through fines and confiscations, as well as improve Ukraine's cooperation with international partners in the field of sanctions policy.