Protesters in Ukraine denounce law curbing anticorruption agencies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a bill that would revoke the autonomy of key anticorruption agencies, a plan that has triggered rare street demonstrations in the capital, Kyiv.
Critics say the legislation consolidates power in Zelenskyy's hands and will allow government meddling in high-profile corruption cases.
The European Union on Tuesday called the decision a 'serious step back', while hundreds gathered in central Kyiv to oppose the measure – a show of antigovernment anger rarely seen since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Some demonstrators shouted, 'Veto the law!'
'The bill is being rushed through,' 26-year-old game designer Anastasia told the AFP news agency.
'It is clear that this is a targeted effort,' she added.
The bill will grant the prosecutor general new authority over investigations and cases handled by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).
NABU investigates instances of corruption among state institutions, while the SAPO prosecutes corruption.
The passage of the bill through parliament drew sharp criticism from the heads of both agencies, and the citizen protests were the largest since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Many influential Ukrainians also lashed out on social media after Tuesday's vote, saying it was a betrayal of Ukraine's decade-long geopolitical ambition.
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Fighting corruption is crucial for Ukraine's bid to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid. It is also seen as critical to erasing a legacy of Russian rule, a sentiment echoed at the protest in Kyiv.
Vladyslava Kirstyuk, 18, said that memories of her childhood in occupied eastern Ukraine, after Russia's covert invasion in 2014, left a strong impression on her.
'I know what it means for one person to have all the power, when nothing is transparent and everything is working against you,' the teenager told the Reuters news agency.
'I don't want it to be the same for us here.'
On Monday, Ukraine's domestic security agency detained two NABU officials on suspicion of links to Russia and searched other agency employees on unrelated allegations.
NABU has uncovered widespread corruption, including among figures in Zelenskyy's administration.
Last week, the president carried out a reshuffle of his wartime cabinet, a move widely viewed as further consolidating power within his inner circle.
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