The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has supported the draft law on conviction in absentia at the second reading.

Bill No. 2164 on amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code on improving certain provisions in connection with the implementation of a special pretrial investigation at the second reading was supported by 258 MPs, an Interfax-Ukraine agency correspondent reported.

According to the bill, the absentee conviction procedure can be applied only to persons who are in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine or in the Russian Federation - a state that is recognized as an aggressor country, and/or who are placed in the international wanted list.