Protests in Ukraine as President Zelenskyy Signs Law Threatening Anti-Corruption Agencies

Thousands of Ukrainians rallied across Kyiv and other cities on Tuesday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bill into law, which several say, threatens the independence of the country’s top anti-corruption bodies, according to a report published by The Associated Press. 

Public Outrage Over Anti-Corruption Law

The new law, approved by Ukraine’s parliament, expands the authority of the prosecutor general over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) – two nodal agencies seen as key to anti-corruption battle.

“In effect, if this bill becomes law, the head of SAPO will become a nominal figure, while NABU will lose its independence and turn into a subdivision of the prosecutor general’s office,” the agencies said in a joint statement on Telegram, per the AP.

EU and Activists Sound the Alarm

The European Union has also voiced its concern over the move, suggesting the new legislation could endanger Ukraine’s efforts to join the European bloc. “A serious step back,” EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos wrote in a post on X, while stressing, “Independent bodies like NABU & SAPO are essential for Ukraine’s EU path.”

Transparency International’s Ukrainian office also denounced the law, issuing a warning that it “undermines one of the most important reforms since the Revolution of Dignity in 2014,” according to The Associated Press.

The organisation called on Zelenskyy to veto the bill, stressing that otherwise he would bear equal responsibility with parliament for “disassembling Ukraine’s anti-corruption infrastructure.”

Protesters Demand Accountability

According to the report, many protesters carried signs reading “Veto the law” and “Protect Ukraine’s future.” Ihor Lachenkov, a popular blogger who helped mobilise the crowd, told the US-based news agency, “If we misuse [resources], or worse, allow them to end up in the pockets of thieves, our chances of victory diminish.”

A war veteran who lost both legs criticised the government, reportedly saying, “Those who swore to protect the laws… have instead chosen to shield their inner circle… even at the expense of Ukrainian democracy.”

Zelenskyy’s recent Cabinet reshuffle is being seen as a further consolidation of power amid rising criticism of executive overreach.

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