Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Valeriya Lutkovska has called on Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to veto the bill on the introduction of biometric passports and return it to parliament for revision by experts.

A relevant letter was posted on the ombudsman's Web site on October 15.

According to Lutkovska, the approved wording of the bill "does not comply with the Constitution of Ukraine and European standards in the sphere of personal data protection, and might infringe on human rights and freedom."

The ombudsman also stressed in her letter that the amendments to the document that were proposed by experts from the Council of Europe, Ukrainian experts and public organizations in August-September 2012 were not included in the final wording of the bill.

Lutkovska specified that the passed amendments to the bill do not comply with standards of the Council of Europe and the European Union and the law on access to public information, which "may result in there being unjustified restrictions on access to public information with reference to the confidentiality of personal data."

The ombudsman added that the bill introduces controls over personal data processing and intrudes into the free activity of people in charge of processing personal data using information and communication systems.

As reported, on October 2, 2012 the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, passed a bill on the introduction of biometric passports in Ukraine.

The document foresees the introduction of electronic passports containing electronic chips with biometric information for traveling abroad, according to standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

According to the bill, the passports of Ukrainian citizens will be produced in the form of cards with contactless smart chips and issued no later than 30 calendar days from the date of the submission of a relevant application.

The electronic passports will include the name of the state, the name of the document, the full name of the holder, the holder's gender, citizenship, date of birth, and a unique number in the register, the number of the document, the date of the document's expiration, the date of issuing the document, the name of the agency that issued the document, the place of birth, a photo and the signature of the holder.

The information about parents or trustee of the holder may be included to the document upon a relevant written request.