PRESS RELEASE : President signed a decree on the imposition of martial law in Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada approved it

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Decree № 64/2022 “On the imposition of martial law in Ukraine”. People’s deputies approved the document by 300 votes.

According to the decree, martial law is imposed from 5:30 am February 24, 2022 for a period of 30 days. This decision was made due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, on the basis of the proposal of the National Security and Defense Council and in accordance with Ukrainian law.

The Military Command, together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, other executive bodies and local self-government bodies, must ensure the measures and powers envisaged by the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Regime of the Martial Law” necessary to ensure Ukraine’s defense, public safety and state interests.

Due to the imposition of martial law in Ukraine, the constitutional rights and freedoms of man and citizen provided for in Articles 30-34, 38, 39, 41-44, 53 of the Constitution of Ukraine may be temporarily restricted, temporary restrictions on the rights and legitimate interests of legal entities will also be imposed.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine must immediately put into effect a plan to implement and ensure measures of the legal regime of martial law in Ukraine, and provide appropriate funding.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine together with local state administrations and other state bodies, institutions, enterprises, organizations of all forms of ownership are instructed to immediately bring a single state civil protection system, its functional and territorial subsystems ready for the fulfillment of tasks in a special period.

Also, regional, Kyiv city state administrations and local self-government bodies must establish defense councils and provide assistance to the military command in introducing and implementing measures of the martial law regime.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine must ensure that the UN Secretary General and foreign officials are duly informed about the imposition of martial law in Ukraine, restrictions on human and civil rights and freedoms, which is a deviation from the obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the extent of these deviations and the reasons for such a decision.