People will now be fined for speaking in Russian in Ukraine
Local budgets of Ukrainian cities will be replenished, including through fines for refusing to use the Ukrainian language.
The Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, Taras Kremin, announced this on Channel 24, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
According to Kremin, from July 16, the rules of language legislation in Ukraine are being tightened and all officials, as well as the service sector, must use the Ukrainian language for communication.
“If we are talking about the language of official communication, business communication, public events, including information, especially in wartime conditions, by the heads of city or regional military administrations about events at the front, in the region, about the consequences of shelling, liquidation of the consequences of certain disasters, then the state language must be one hundred percent.
I have repeatedly said that there are city mayors, heads of regional military administrations - be it in the south, east or center of Ukraine, who continue, it seems as if on purpose, to report on key facts and events not in the state language, including during broadcasts live.
I believe that such things are unacceptable, and I want to emphasize that from July 16, in accordance with the entry into force of changes to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences, we will have the right to impose fines for violation of language legislation on everyone - be it an official, a school director, a journalist , a representative of the service sector - anyone who violates the right of Ukrainian citizens to receive information and services in the state language...
Therefore, if the original mayors of individual cities do not know how to replenish local budgets, they can continue to comply with the language law and replenish the local treasury. The procedure is very simple - the facts are recorded, protocols are drawn up, and just as fines for traffic offenses are paid by the police, so too will a fine be imposed, which can be challenged in court.
That is, there are no procedures, beliefs, and so on - there is a fact, it is recorded, the protocol is handed directly to the potential violator and a place is determined for him where he can pay this fine over a certain period of time,” Kremin said.
Speaking in Russian in Ukraine will now be subject to fines.