Fines will be imposed for sexual harassment on the Internet: Zelenskyy signed the law

In Ukraine, fines will be imposed for sexual harassment on the Internet / Photo: Office of the President

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the law on administrative violations in connection with the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, adopted by the parliament on May 22.

The head of state signed the corresponding bill №8329 on June 17, reports Interfax-Ukraine.

According to the law, you can receive a fine for humiliating messages of a sexual nature in messengers. In particular, the Code on Administrative Offenses was supplemented with new articles:

• Article 173-6 — committing gender-based violence;
• Article 173-7 — sexual harassment using electronic communications;
• Article 173-8 — failure to comply with an urgent restraining order or failure to notify the place of temporary stay in case of issuing such an order.

As «Sudovo-yuridychna Gazeta» explains, Article 173-7 of the Code of Administrative Offenses on Sexual Harassment, i.e. the intentional commission of offensive, humiliating acts of a sexual nature against a person's will, expressed verbally or non-verbally (words, gestures, body movements), including using electronic communications, — entails a fine from ₴1,360 to ₴2,720 or community service for a period of 20 to 40 hours, or correctional work for a period of up to one month with deduction of 20% of earnings.

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, or the so-called Istanbul Convention, is an international agreement of the Council of Europe against violence against women and family violence.

The Istanbul Convention is an international agreement of the Council of Europe. The document appeared in 2011, so far 47 countries have signed it, 36 (including Ukraine) have ratified it. The purpose of the document is to destroy gender stereotypes that allow violence against women. The Convention promotes and protects the right of people to live free from violence and prohibits all forms of discrimination against women.

We will remind, at the end of 2022 Ukraine officially handed over the documents on the ratification of the Istanbul Convention to the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Bjorn Berge.