Crimean parliament reverses decision to ban Svoboda, files lawsuit
Members of the Crimean parliament presidium have granted the autonomous republic's prosecutor's request by reversing their January 27 decision banning the work of the Svoboda all-Ukrainian Union and other radical groups on the territory of Crimea.
"Presidium members have decided to grant the request made by the prosecutor of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and reverse Item 1 of their January 27, 2014 decision On Measures for Assisting the Protection of Order and Public Safety on the Territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, which bans the activities on the territory of Crimea of the association Svoboda and other radical groups as threatening public safety and the observance of law and order," the press center for the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea said in a statement released on Friday.
Kostiantyn Bakharev, chairman of the permanent commission of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea on legislative activities, the organization of the work of the Supreme Council and public relations, said the decision made by the presidium demonstrates its readiness to be guided primarily by the current legislation of Ukraine, even in this difficult political situation.
However, he reiterated that the Crimean parliament will file a lawsuit to seek a full ban on the activities by Svoboda because the association has breached the requirements on the work of political parties established by the Ukrainian Constitution and the laws of Ukraine.
"At the same time, our political position remains unchanged: Svoboda should bear legal liability for its actions, which are aimed at forcible change of a legitimate administration and undermining the security of the state. We believe it is necessary to ban the work of this political force in the order established by law base don Article 37 of the Ukrainian Constitution and Article 5 of the Ukrainian law On Political Parties in Ukraine. The Presidium of the Supreme Council of Crimea will send an appropriate request to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office," Bakharev said.
