On July 22 and 23, dozens of Ukrainian cities held protests against the draft law №12414 adopted by the Verkhovna Rada, which, according to experts and civil society, threatens the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP).
Rallies were held in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Rivne, Lutsk, Chernivtsi and other cities of Ukraine. The participants demanded that the president veto the law, which, in their opinion, paves the way for political pressure on anti-corruption bodies.
«Hands off from NABU»
In Kyiv, the protest began at 8:00 p.m. on Ivan Franko Square. Several thousand people gathered for the action, chanting: «Hands off NABU». The protest continued until late at night.
In Lviv, several hundred citizens came to Svobody Avenue with the slogans «Let's change or die», «Now veto!», «Shame!» but the demand to the Verkhovna Rada to immediately review the adopted decision.
In Dnipro, activists gathered on Korolenko Street. Dozens and hundreds of citizens came to rallies in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Rivne, Lutsk, Odesa and Chernivtsi. People held placards: «No shameful law», «Independent NABU — guarantee of justice», «No political control over SAP». In Ternopil, the action took place near the building of the regional military administration. In Ivano-Frankivsk, protesters gathered with banners under administrative institutions. Similar rallies were held in other regions.
Nabu's reaction
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine thanked the citizens for their support:
«The NABU team is sincerely impressed by the support we saw today during spontaneous events in many cities of the country. We are grateful to everyone. This is very important for us — and very noticeable. We see this support as a sign of confidence in our institution. And we will do everything to justify it», — was noted in the press service of the bureau.
The president's reaction
We will remind, on the evening of July 22, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi commented for the first time on the situation surrounding NABU and SAP. In an address to citizens, he emphasized the need to preserve the anti-corruption infrastructure — without any external influences.
«Anti-corruption infrastructure will work. Only without Russian influences —, everything must be cleaned of this. And justice should become more», — noted Zelensky.
The President announced that he discussed the situation with NABU leaders Semen Kryvonos, SAP Oleksandr Klymenko, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko and SBU Chairman Vasyl Malyuk.
«Of course, NABU and SAP will work. And it is important that the Prosecutor General is determined that Ukraine really ensures the inevitability of punishment for those who go against the law», — emphasized the head of state.
Zelensky also criticized the delay in criminal cases, in particular regarding officials who are abroad:
«There is no rational explanation why billions of “worth of criminal proceedings have been hanging for years. And there is no explanation why Russians can still get the information they need», — he said.
The reaction of international partners: anti-corruption independence — is a key condition for European integration
The adoption of draft law №12414 caused concern among Ukraine's international partners. Representatives of a number of European states emphasized that the independence of NABU and SAP is a fundamental condition for Ukraine's further progress on the way to membership in the European Union.
In particular, the head of the German Foreign Ministry, Johann Wadeful, said that limiting the independence of anti-corruption institutions complicates the European integration process:
«Limiting the independence of Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies complicates Ukraine's path to the EU. I expect Ukraine to consistently continue the fight against corruption», — he emphasized.
Vadeful also noted that it was for this reason that during his visit to Kyiv he met with the leadership of NABU and SAP.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Jan Lipavskyi, stated that Prague is closely monitoring the development of events in Ukraine, and emphasized the importance of maintaining the anti-corruption fight as a component of the European course:
«Ukraine belongs to Europe, and its citizens have our support. But support has never been and will not be a guarantee of any steps the government takes. I reminded Minister Andrii Sibizi of this today,» noted Lipavskyi.
The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed concern about the new law, stressing the importance of following the course of reforms:
«Ukraine has made important progress in the fight against corruption over the past decade — it is critical to follow this course. Sweden remains a strong partner of Ukraine in the implementation of reforms», — says in an official statement.
Earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Kaspar Veldkamp, expressed a similar position. He called anti-corruption bodies «vital for Ukraine on the path of reforms».
What does the draft law №12414 provide for
The document, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada by 263 votes, provides for a significant strengthening of the role of the Prosecutor General in NABU investigations. In particular, the law gives him the right:
- full access to all criminal proceedings of NABU;
- to give binding instructions to bureau detectives;
- change the jurisdiction of cases in case of non-fulfillment of these instructions;
- close the investigation at the request of the defense party;
- resolve disputes of jurisdiction;
- single-handedly sign suspicions to high-ranking officials.
At the same time, the head of the SAP loses the right to be a member of the group of prosecutors in cases dealt with by NABU. Experts of the anti-corruption environment declare that if this law enters into force, it will violate the balance of powers enshrined in legislation and recognized by Ukraine's international partners as the basis of the independence of the anti-corruption system.
Context: searches in NABU
A day before the vote, on July 21, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General searched NABU employees. Several detectives have been suspected, including — one of the bureau chiefs, Ruslan Magomedrasulov, who is suspected of having ties to an FSB agent and helping a Russian-based businessman father.
Contributors:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Bildeditor: Olga Kovaleva
Literary editor: Yulia Futei
Website manager: Vladyslav Kuhar
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