Anti-protest laws in Ukraine

The Ukrainian anti-protest laws were a group of ten laws restricting freedom of speech and freedom of assembly passed by the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine) on January 16, 2014, (referred to as Black Thursday) and signed into law by President Viktor Yanukovych the following day, amid massive anti-government protests known as “Euromaidan” that started in November. The laws were collectively known as the "laws on dictatorship" ( uk, закони про диктатуру, russian: Зако́ны о диктату́ре), by Euromaidan activists, non-governmental organizations, scholars, and the Ukrainian media.

In the aftermath of their passing, Western nations criticised the laws for their undemocratic nature and their ability to significantly curb the rights to protest, free speech and the activity of non-governmental organisations. They were described in the media and by experts as "draconian", with Timothy Snyder claiming that they effectively established the nation as a dictatorship. The laws were widely denounced internationally, with US Secretary of State John Kerry describing them as "anti-democratic".

The laws were developed by MPs Vadym Kolesnychenko and Volodymyr Oliynyk from the ruling Party of Regions, and supported by a voting bloc consisting of the Party of Regions, the Communist Party and some independent MPs. They were adopted with a number of procedural violations. In accordance with enforcing the new laws, Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko pledged that "each offence will be met by our side harshly."

After the laws were passed, widespread violence erupted between protesters and security forces, escalating the Euromaidan movement and resulting in the Hrushevskoho riots and then the Revolution of Dignity. As a result of the escalation the laws were causing, nine anti-protest laws were cancelled by the Verkhovna Rada on 28 January 2014.Law on scrapping January 16 legislation published in Ukraine
Interfax-Ukraine (3 February 2014)

Procedure

When adopting the laws the Verkhovna Rada violated a number of its own procedural rules. The laws were voted mostly by showing of hands. This is allowed by the Rules of Procedure ^uk but only when there is no "technical possibility" to vote through the electronic system. Moreover, hands were "counted" within a few seconds, based on the number of MPs included in the parliamentary groups, while many MPs were in fact absent. Diplomats observing the votes counted only some 100 to 140 raised hands, while the laws would have needed to be adopted by a majority of 226 votes.
Most of the laws were adopted without prior consideration in the parliament's committees as required and with no time for examining the laws even by the MPs.

Provisions

The laws had provisions such as:
*Criminalizing "extremist activity", which according to TI Ukraine is defined in "broad and vague terms", with a hefty fine for a first offence and up to three years in jail for a repeat offence.
*Simplifying the process of removal of parliamentary immunity during criminal proceedings to a majority vote in the Parliament. A prior review is no longer required by the Parliamentary committee.
*Extending and applying amnesty from prosecution previously adopted by the Verkhovna Rada to those who committed crimes against protestors, including Berkut security forces and other law enforcement officials;
*Allowing trial in absentia of individuals, including prison terms in cases where the person refuses to appear in court when criminal proceedings in the absence of such person are pronounced possible;
*Simplifying procedures for serving summons and filing administrative protocols;
*Creating a penalty for blocking access to residential buildings of up to six years in jail;
Further provisions included:
*Drivers of motorcades of more than 5 cars, if they cause traffic jams, face the loss of their driver's license and vehicle for up to two years (unless permission is obtained from the Ministry of Internal Affairs);
*Gathering and disseminating information about the Berkut, judges, or their respective families carries a penalty of up to 2 years in jail;
*Defamation, either by means of press or social media, carries a penalty of up to one year in jail.
*Law enforcement officials involved in similar activities and their families face a maximum prison term of six months;
*The penalty for blocking government buildings is up to five years in jail; that for blocking of entrance to a residence is up to three years of restriction of liberty
*Up to 15 days in jail for unauthorised installation of tents, stages and sound equipment;
*Anti-mask law with the provision of up to 15 days in jail for participation in peaceful gatherings wearing a mask, camouflage clothing, scarf, helmet, or other means of concealing or protecting one's face or head;
*Non-governmental organizations that accept foreign funds must register as "foreign agents" and face high scrutiny and additional tax measures;
*Mandatory licensing of Internet providers;
*Provisions for legal governmental Internet censorship;
*A broad definition of "extremist activities," which disallows non-governmental organizations and churches from engaging in support of civil protests.

Repeal

On January 28, the Parliament voted to repeal nine of the laws, with 361 of the 450 MPs in favor. In what ''The New York Times'' described as a compromise, the Parliament approved more limited versions of some restrictions: for example, the destruction of monuments was recriminalized, but was specified to cover only anti-fascist monuments, and not statues of Lenin.

On 25 August 2014 President Petro Poroshenko claimed he had called the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election

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