The War on Porn Regular Updates about the Assault on The Adult Industry
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KYIV — Ukraine’s parliament failed to approve a proposed measure that would have decriminalized pornography across the country.
Since gaining independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has maintained laws prohibiting pornography and obscenity, even as the nation’s adult-content industry has continued to expand.
“It’s very unfortunate,” said Ruslan Stefanchuk, chair of the Rada, according to the Ukrainian News Agency. “I would have liked to see real liberalization, but apparently the Soviet mindset is still firmly entrenched.”
Member of Parliament Yaroslav Zheleznyak spearheaded the effort to repeal the country’s longstanding Soviet-era restrictions on pornography. The law is “nothing short of stupidity,” Zheleznyak told Kyiv Post journalist Kateryna Zakharchenko in an August 2023 interview. The bill ultimately received 207 votes, falling short of the 226 needed for approval.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said it had no objections to the wording of the legislation. Despite that position, supporters of the measure were unable to secure enough votes for it to pass.
The failed vote comes as Ukraine’s Security Service and other law enforcement agencies continue investigating an alleged corruption scheme involving regional police officials. Authorities say the officials accepted bribes in exchange for ignoring illegal pornography production operations and adult-content creators operating in several parts of the country.
