(VOVworld) - The Ukrainian parliament approved a bill against separatism on Tuesday in a bid to end violent pro-Russian rallies in the country's east regions.

Marches to show support Russia in Donesk on April 6th (Photo: AFP)

According to the new law, those charged with violation of Ukraine's territorial supremacy could face a jail term of up to five years for single offence and up to 10 years for repeated offense. Earlier, the maximum sentence for encroachment on Ukraine's territorial integrity was three years in prison. The parliament also made the criminal liability for treason harsher, requiring offenders to spend 12 to 15 years behind the bars. Previously, the minimum mandatory sentence for treason in Ukraine was a jail term of 10 years.