Ombudsman Lubinets: citizens’ rights are violated in 90% of mobilization cases

Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has stated that the situation with mobilization “has almost reached a boiling point,” and that citizens’ rights are violated in 90% of detentions carried out by Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) personnel.

His words are cited by Strana.ua, referencing an interview with Novyny.LIVE.

“Ukrainian society is now, you know, turning into a kind of lynch mob. Unfortunately, because people, in their view, see no legal response to the actions of the TRC and SP, Ukrainian citizens themselves are taking responsibility and trying to resist what is happening in this way. This, in turn, leads to even more serious consequences and problems in the future. That is why this situation should show all of us that the boiling point in Ukrainian society has already almost been reached,” — Lubinets said.

On July 8, mass protests and clashes with TRC personnel took place in Lviv, triggered by the detention of a man subject to military service.

In the ombudsman’s assessment, in the overwhelming majority of cases, territorial recruitment center personnel detain people without drawing up protocols and without involving the police, which is unlawful. “I can see that right now, in my view, in approximately 10% of cases everything happens in compliance with established procedures. In the remaining 90% of cases, we are talking about a direct violation of the rights of Ukrainian citizens,” — Lubinets stated. He also noted that detentions are carried out by people in balaclavas and without identifying chevrons, and that requirements on the use of body cameras are not being met.

Lubinets said he had urged the last three defense ministers to ban such detentions, but none of them responded to his appeals.

Last week, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was dismissed. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Fedorov had failed the TRC reform. Following his dismissal, the former defense minister criticized Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky, accusing him of blocking military reforms.

Syrsky, in a column for the Militarnyi portal, in turn criticized the former minister over the progress of the mobilization reform. According to the commander-in-chief, the ground forces and the TRC, which are subordinate to him, “are ready for change”: they attend sessions in the Verkhovna Rada, report all violations to the State Bureau of Investigations, and involve the police.

“But the reform itself is the legislative and administrative work of the ministry. I am waiting for it just as the whole country is waiting,” — the general added.