Ukraine's President Zelenskyy has not introduced a law to allow for organ harvesting without consent

By: Christian Haag
June 18 2024

Share Article:

Examples of the claim shared online. (Source: TikTok/X/Screenshot/Edited by Logically Facts)

Context

An old claim has resurfaced online which alleges that Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has introduced a new law that would allow for the harvesting of body organs without consent. The claim was originally made by Clayton Morris, a former Fox News anchor and real estate investor who now runs the conspiratorial YouTube channel and podcast Redacted News. Morris published the claim on TikTok and YouTube (archived here and here); it has since been reshared on X and Facebook (archived here and here).  

The original video shows Clayton Morris talking about a news article from 2022 published by the Ukrainian state media outlet Ukriniform. The article reports on amendments at the time to a law regulating organ donation and transplantation, claiming that the law enables Ukraine to "harvest organs without consent." However, the claim is false, and Ukraine has not introduced such a law. Clayton Morris has also been fact-checked repeatedly by Logically Facts. 

In fact

The law referenced by Clayton Morris is Law No. 1967-IX "On the Introduction of Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regulating the Transplantation of Anatomical Materials into Humans," adopted by the Ukrainian parliament on December 16, 2021. The amendment of the law stated that the requirement of notarization of written consent for organ transplantation was removed. Notarization is "the act or process of having a public official such as a lawyer sign a letter or other document."

The parts of the amendments to Law no. 1967-IX regarding the removal of the requirement
for notarization of written consent for organ transplantation and donation.
Translated using Google Translate Chrome extension.
(Source: zakon.rada.gov.ua/Screenshot/Edited by Logically Facts)

Written consent during a person's lifetime is still needed if the deceased wants to allow for their organs to be donated. The refusal to donate organs is preassumed in Ukrainian legislation, and transplantation without appropriate consent is forbidden. If the person has not refused organ transplantation during their lifetime, consent can be given by the deceased's spouse, close relative, or the person responsible for the funeral. 

Interfax Ukraine reported that the law was intended to increase the efficiency and number of organ transplants. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine reported at the beginning of 2024 that the number of transplants increased in 2023 to 585, compared to 384 the previous year.

There have been numerous false claims about organ harvesting and trafficking in Ukraine disseminated by pro-Russian actors and Russian state media since the Russian invasion of Donbas in 2014. Logically Facts analyzed the Russian propaganda documentary "Tanks for Kidneys," which accused Ukraine of organ trafficking and compiled many related false claims. These claims are part of a larger narrative trying to paint Ukraine as a corrupt and criminal state, all with the intent of creating distrust and eroding foreign support for Ukraine. 

In response to these claims, Ukrainian legislation has prohibited the transplantation of organs from people who have died as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. Stopfake.org explains that "a clear ban on removing organs from those who died in combat is intended to prevent disinformation, fakes, and hostile propaganda, and aims to strengthen the positive perception of voluntary organ donation."

The verdict

No law has been passed in Ukraine that would allow for organ harvesting without consent. An amendment to a previous Ukrainian law removed the need for notarization of written consent, not the removal of consent itself, for organ transplants. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.