Now convicted persons can receive responses to complaints on their own flash drives, and letters to the International Criminal Court are sent without any censorship.
Convicted persons in penal institutions utilise access to the global internet not only to obtain information but also to exercise one of their legally guaranteed rights: to appeal to government bodies, courts, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, lawyers, and international institutions. The Ministry of Justice has updated the procedure for submitting such electronic appeals, defining clear deadlines for sending them to recipients, a mechanism for confirming receipt, and additional guarantees of correspondence confidentiality.
This is expected to help avoid unreasonable delays in sending appeals and ensure more effective realisation of convicted persons’ right to appeal and legal assistance. Judicial-Legal Newspaper examined the specific changes introduced by the new order.
Legal Basis of the Order
On 9 July 2026, the Ministry of Justice issued Order No. 1857/5, which amended the Procedure for Organising Access to the Global Internet for Convicted Persons. The document will enter into force on the day of its official publication.
The innovations primarily concern the procedure for submitting electronic appeals, the deadlines for sending them to recipients, and guarantees of confidentiality for correspondence with courts, lawyers, the Ombudsman, and international organisations.
The order was adopted in accordance with Articles 8 and 113 of the Criminal Executive Code of Ukraine. Article 8 guarantees convicted persons the right to appeal to state authorities, local self-government bodies, courts, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, international organisations of which Ukraine is a member or participant, as well as other institutions and officials, to protect their rights and legitimate interests.
Concurrently, Article 113 of the Criminal Executive Code of Ukraine grants convicted persons the right to use the global internet in the manner determined by the Ministry of Justice. This procedure has now been updated.
Main Changes
One of the primary changes in the order is the expansion of the range of electronic correspondence of convicted persons that is not subject to review by the administration of penal institutions. The International Criminal Court and the Commission for Complaints about Inadequate Detention Conditions have been added to the list of organisations whose correspondence is exempt from review.
Secondly, electronic appeals to these recipients, as well as responses from them, are prohibited from being reviewed by the institution’s staff.
Another change is the update of terminology. In paragraphs 2–4 of Section I of the Procedure, the words “online appeals” were replaced with “electronic appeals.” This change is essentially technical but aligns the normative act with modern terminology used in legislation regarding citizens’ electronic interaction with government bodies.
How Electronic Appeals Will Now Be Submitted
The Ministry of Justice revised paragraph 4 of Section II of the Procedure. From now on, electronic appeals, as a general rule, will be submitted to the email address designated by the administration of the penal institution.
After receiving such an appeal, the administration must issue the convicted person a confirmation receipt, the form of which is defined by the Instruction on Organising the Review of Correspondence of Persons Held in Penal Institutions and Pre-trial Detention Centres. Thus, the convicted person receives documentary confirmation that their appeal has been accepted for sending.
Clear Deadlines for Sending Established
Unlike the previous version of the Procedure, specific deadlines are now defined within which the institution’s administration must send the appeal to the recipient.
After issuing the confirmation receipt, the electronic appeal must be sent within three days, or within one day if such a deadline is provided by law. This is intended to minimise cases of unjustified delays in sending appeals.
How Convicted Persons Will Receive Responses
One of the key innovations is additional guarantees of confidentiality. The list of organisations whose correspondence is not subject to review now includes the International Criminal Court and the Commission for Complaints about Inadequate Detention Conditions.
It is separately stipulated that not only appeals from convicted persons to these bodies but also electronic letters that convicted persons receive from them are not subject to review.
The order also defines the mechanism for delivering responses to appeals. The institution’s administration ensures convicted persons’ connection to the provider. When registering mailboxes, convicted persons provide the administrator with a login and password, which are recorded in a special journal. However, the use of these data by staff for anything other than reviewing permitted correspondence is strictly prohibited.
The use of flash drives to receive copies of responses allows convicted persons to accumulate evidence for further appeals or lawsuits.
Practical Implications
The new order does not alter convicted persons’ right to use the internet itself but details the procedure for exercising this right. The document establishes a clear algorithm for submitting electronic appeals, defines deadlines for sending them, introduces documentary confirmation of receipt by the administration, and additionally guarantees confidentiality of correspondence with courts, lawyers, the Ombudsman, and international human rights institutions.
In summary, the update of the Procedure for Organising Access to the Global Internet for Convicted Persons is primarily aimed at improving the mechanism for exercising the right to appeal and the right to defence. Establishing clear deadlines for sending electronic appeals, introducing a confirmation receipt, and fixing the list of correspondence not subject to review by the administration are intended to ensure greater legal certainty and additional guarantees of respect for the rights of persons serving sentences. These changes may become an important step towards strengthening human rights protection standards in Ukraine’s penitentiary system.
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