The Ukrainian Parliament passed legislation last week prohibiting organ harvesting from military and civilian casualties of Russia’s invasion, the measure receiving broad support from lawmakers.
The law expands previous restrictions that only applied to casualties in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, establishing a nationwide ban on organ donation from soldiers killed in combat and civilians who died due to armed aggression against Ukraine.
Jurist reports that the legislation specifically prohibits the removal of anatomical materials from orphaned children, incapacitated individuals, and unidentified bodies, as well as those who died due to law enforcement or security forces’ actions.
The law also establishes a National Transplantation Committee to review adverse reactions and complaints while introducing an emergency transplantation status for patients requiring immediate care. According to the law’s explanatory note, these measures aim to eliminate legal gaps that could be exploited for misinformation.
Stricter verification procedures have also been introduced for organ donation cases, including enhanced oversight of the donor-recipient matching process and mandatory review of any reported irregularities in transplantation procedures. The law requires non-profit organisations to operate all Ukrainian information systems and registries for potential donors.
The Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation said the legislation directly addresses intensified Russian disinformation efforts.
In August 2023, Russia’s Foreign Ministry published claims about organ trafficking in Ukraine through Telegram channels, allegedly citing evidence of organ harvesting sites in several sectors. These narratives were further promoted in October 2023, claiming that “black transplantation” constituted 7% of Ukraine’s total budget.
These allegations come against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The Centre for Countering Disinformation reports that disinformation campaigns, including allegations about organ trafficking, have reportedly appeared since 2014, particularly in Russian state media and social networks.
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