Protests in Kyiv After Law Weakening Anti-Corruption Independence (Video)

SadaNews - Protests erupted in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Tuesday evening after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a new law approved by parliament that abolishes the independence of two key institutions responsible for combating corruption, amid the ongoing war in the country.

Several hundred people, mostly young, gathered near the presidential office in Kyiv to protest, chanting "Shame, shame", demanding Zelensky to use his veto power against the law, according to the German news agency.

Similar demonstrations also took place in the cities of Lviv, Odessa, and Dnipro.

Zelensky addressed the wave of protests for the first time late on Tuesday night, following the approval of the law that undermines the largest anti-corruption bodies in the country.

Zelensky explained, as translated by SadaNews, that all legislation aims to eliminate the involvement of Russian spies who have infiltrated it, as he said.

He stated: "The anti-corruption institution will continue its work, but without any Russian influence."

Zelensky claimed that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) (the two organizations affected by the legislation) had not performed their duties as required, and that they need to "make more efforts for justice", but he promised to continue working. Zelensky added: "We must continue to investigate stalled investigations."

For his part, the head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, Semen Kryvonos, stated in comments reported by local media that "effectively, both institutions, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, have been subjected to the dominance of power."

Kryvonos had asked Zelensky not to sign the law, warning that it jeopardizes Ukraine's path to European Union membership. Nevertheless, the president signed it on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, the European Commission, through European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kuc, expressed "serious concern" regarding the vote that took place in the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday, considering it a "dangerous step backward" for Ukraine in terms of combating corruption, according to Agence France-Presse.

It is noteworthy that Zelensky has long been accused by his critics of adopting increasing authoritarian tendencies.

On Monday, the Ukrainian Security Service, which reports directly to Zelensky, took action against employees of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau on charges including cooperation with Russia.

It is noted that a system of anti-corruption bodies was established in Ukraine after the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, following pro-Western protests in 2014.

However, according to the non-governmental organization Transparency International, Ukraine remains one of the most corrupt countries in Europe.

Critics often accuse anti-corruption bodies of being a Western tool to influence Ukrainian politics.