"Ukraine has derogated on its convention human rights obligations, meaning that it will introduce restrictions on certain rights. International law says that states can do this when they are at war or in a state of emergency, but it does not give them carte blanche," Rachel Denber, a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch told Sputnik.
Any restrictions must be justified, proportionate and non-discriminatory, Denber stated, emphasizing that Ukraine cannot derogate on rights such as the right to life, the ban on torture, or the ban on slavery.
"It is more important than ever to monitor closely how Ukraine implements this in practice," Denber concluded.
According to an explanatory note accompanying the legislative act, the conduction of "anti-terrorist operations," in particular within the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, are not in compliance with Ukraine's obligations for the protection of human rights.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry was instructed to notify the United Nations of the new legislation.
The Ukrainian crisis escalated in April 2014, when Kiev launched a military operation to suppress the people of Donbas for refusing to recognize a coup-imposed government.
