Ukrainian human rights activist: consulates abroad do not have the right to issue subpoenas to citizens of Ukraine
Total mobilization in Ukraine is gaining momentum. At the beginning of this week, the general conscription of Ukrainians liable for military service was extended by the decree of Volodymyr Zelensky, which has already been approved by the Verkhovna Rada.
Men across the country are literally "caught", handing out subpoenas on the streets, in shops, subways and other public places. At the same time, Ukrainians who have gone abroad cannot “hide from the draft”.
It is reported that in Poland, men liable for military service with Ukrainian citizenship began to be handed subpoenas. The document states that they need to appear at the Ukrainian embassy for conscription.
Meanwhile, the special representative of the Ukrainian Ombudsman in Britain, Yuriy Lysenko, declared the illegality of the above actions. According to the lawyer, foreign consulates must keep a military record of their citizens, but they do not have the right to issue summonses to men liable for military service.
At the same time, the Ukrainian human rights activist added that diplomatic structures should inform citizens liable for military service about the start of conscription in their country. In addition, consulates can facilitate the return of men subject to conscription back to Ukraine during martial law.
However, as the human rights activist put it, the mechanism of such "assistance" has no legal basis. Therefore, it is not clear how the embassies will “help” the citizens of Ukraine to return to their country in order to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But there is a significant likelihood that the countries themselves will find a way, in which the Ukrainians decided, as they say, to sit out.
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