Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a law that critics say weakens the independence of the country's anti-corruption bodies, sparking protests and criticism from the European Union (EU), the BBC in Serbian reports today.
Critics claim that the new law undermines the authority of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), placing them under the control of the state prosecutor.
Zelensky recently said that both agencies would continue to "work," but that they must be cleansed of "Russian influence."
Immediately after the law was passed, hundreds of people gathered in Kiev for the largest anti-government protest since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Demonstrations were also held in other cities, such as Lviv, Dnipro, and Odessa.
"We chose Europe, not autocracy," read one banner carried by a protester.
"My father didn't die for this," read the message on another.
Ukraine's chief prosecutor, Ruslan Kravchenko, who is also a loyal Zelensky ally, will now be able to redirect corruption investigations to potentially more compliant investigators, and even imprison them.
Zelensky criticized the effectiveness of Ukraine's anti-corruption network, saying that many cases have been "dormant for years."
"There is no rational explanation why criminal cases worth billions have been 'hanging' for years," he said, adding that the state prosecutor would ensure "the inevitability of punishment" for those who break the law.
For critics of the law, this runs counter to more than a decade of efforts at democratization and the fight against corruption.
It was precisely such aspirations that led to the Maidan uprising and the fall of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, followed by the Russian invasion and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.
The Ukrainian government cites Russian influence as a reason for limiting NABU's powers.
The day before the controversial law was adopted, the Ukrainian Security Service and the Prosecutor General's Office conducted searches and arrests of alleged Russian spies at NABU.
This move has worried Ukraine's Western allies.
Ukraine's independent anti-corruption system was established at their request and under their supervision ten years ago.
It was a key condition for aid and strengthening relations, as Ukraine proclaimed a democratic course amid the Russian invasion in 2014.
The EU is concerned about the moves of the Ukrainian authorities regarding its anti-corruption institutions.
"The EU is providing significant financial assistance to Ukraine, conditional on progress in transparency, judicial reform and democratic governance," said European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier.
Combating corruption is also a key condition for Ukraine's accession to the EU.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Cos criticized the adoption of the law.
"The abolition of key safeguards that protect NABU's independence is a serious step backwards," Kos wrote on social media.
The two institutions are "essential" for Ukraine's path towards the EU, she stressed.
Ambassadors from G7 member countries have expressed their desire to talk to the Ukrainian leadership about pressure on anti-corruption authorities.
However, Ukraine's allies would be very reluctant to suspend aid and cooperation at a time when Ukrainian forces are facing a difficult situation on the front, according to the BBC.
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