People in Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa took to the streets to protest the adoption of bill No. 12414 by the Ukrainian Parliament. It restricts the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), reports Suspilne.
If Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signs the law, it will become immediately effective and bring Ukraine back to the times of former pro-Russian President Victor Yanukovych, who was ousted in the 2013-2014 Euromaidan protests.
On 22 July, the parliament approved bill No. 12414, which introduces changes to the Criminal Procedure Code regarding the pre-trial investigation of cases related to enforced disappearances under martial law conditions.
According to Ukrainian deputy Anastasiia Radina, amendments were added at the last moment that “turn SAPO into a decorative institution and make the activities of NABU and SAPO fully dependent on the will of the Prosecutor General.”
The bill provides that:
- The Prosecutor General gains access to all NABU cases or can grant such access to any other prosecutor.
- The Prosecutor General can issue mandatory written instructions to NABU detectives and, if they are not followed, can change jurisdiction by transferring cases to other agencies,
- Has the right to close investigations at the request of the defense,
- Independently resolves jurisdiction disputes,
- Signs notes of suspicion against high-ranking officials personally.
The head of SAPO loses the right to participate in prosecutor groups, as this is decided solely by the Prosecutor General, Hromadske reports.
In Lviv, people gathered near the Taras Shevchenko monument to protest against the law. Co-organizer Justyna Moyseev said initially 30 people registered for the protest, but the expected number grew, and is expected to reach 100.
During the protest, people chanted slogans such as “Hands off NABU,” “Change or die,” and “Corruption is the death of the future.”
Ukraine’s parliament votes to gut anti-corruption agencies amid Russian spy scandal (UPDATED)
“One must always remember that the Ukrainian people stand together primarily because we want victory, peace, and to move toward the EU. Only for this reason do Ukrainians endure and do not want to cause trouble. But it seems the authorities are forgetting this a little. We want to remind them,” said one Lviv protester, Roman Schmidt.
Residents of Dnipro also joined the protest. Participant Anna stressed that she does not support the adoption of this bill.
“This directly affects the fact that corruption in the country will most likely flourish, and that’s not okay. They won’t be independent,” she said.
A similar protest gathered in Odesa, where people called on the president not to sign the bill, chanting “Protect democratic institutions.”
Kyiv is also protesting against the bill. People are carrying posters reading “People’s wrath is scarier than NABU and SAPO,” “Money hates silence,” “No to the destruction of the anti-corruption system.”