Verkhovna Rada members propose to decriminalize porn

The bill on the decriminalization of pornography is being reintroduced in the Verkhovna Rada. Photo: Dnepr.info

A revised version of bill No. 12191, proposing the decriminalization of pornography, has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, reports Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of the "Holos" faction, on 11 November.

The bill includes amendments to Article 301 of the Criminal Code, removing the punishment of 3-5 years in prison for adults for creating and distributing intimate content. "This is the decriminalization of pornography. So that people aren’t sent to prison for possessing content or for conducting 'undercover operations' via webcams," Zhelezniak noted, adding that, at present, individuals could be penalized even for storing nude photographs on their personal phones.

However, criminal liability would remain for the following actions:
- Creating pornography without consent (e.g., revenge porn, deep fakes);
- Extreme pornography (violence, bestiality, necrophilia);
- Involvement of minors in pornography and its distribution among minors (where penalties are expected to be strengthened).

Zhelezniak also emphasized that procuring, involvement in prostitution, and human trafficking will remain criminal offences.

The bill has been signed by 28 members of parliament, including Yaroslav Zhelezniak and the head of the working group, Vladlen Nekliudov. A similar bill was not passed in the past due to a wave of criticism, with opponents claiming that it would effectively legalize the pornography industry in the country.

Zhelezniak also reported that models on the OnlyFans platform from Ukraine earned nearly $123 million in 2020-2022 but cannot pay taxes due to the ban on distributing such content in the country.

As reported, the deputies who initiated the bill on the decriminalization of pornography stated earlier that the current laws on pornography in Ukraine are still based on Soviet-era norms, from a morality of the past millennium.

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