Protests in Kyiv as Ukraine clamps down on anti-corruption bodies

Times

5 days ago

Ukraine is no longer a genuine democracy, a prominent critic of President Zelensky has alleged, as protesters rallied in Kyiv against a government crackdown on two major anti-corruption organisations that could derail the country's bid to join the European Union.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian parliament approved a bill that brought the national anti-corruption bureau, known as Nabu, and the specialised anti-corruption prosecutor's office, Sapo, under the direct control of the country's prosecutor general, who answers to the president. Zelensky signed the legislation into force just hours later. He said it was necessary to purge the organisations of 'Russian influence,' but gave no other details.
Both organisations were founded with western assistance following the 2014 Maidan revolution in Kyiv that toppled Viktor Yanukovych, the country's notoriously corrupt pro-Moscow leader. They were tasked with acting as independent groups that would root out and prosecute corruption without political interference.
Last month, Nabu named Oleksii Chernyshov, who was at the time a Ukrainian deputy prime minister, as a suspect in a 'large-scale' corruption scheme led by a property developer from Kyiv. Chernyshov, who is said to be a close friend of Zelensky's, was the highest-placed Ukrainian official in history to be charged with corruption. He denied the charges, but lost his post in government this month when Zelensky appointed a new cabinet.
At a rally near the presidential office in Kyiv on Tuesday evening, several thousand protesters, who included soldiers, condemned the move against the anti-corruption groups as a sign of growing authoritarianism and a betrayal of the ideas that powered the Maidan revolution.
'Ukraine is not Russia!' some chanted, while others held up signs saying 'Corruption = Death.' Zelensky's government has also recently proposed legislation that would block investigating corruption in the defence sector.
The demonstration was the first significant show of public dissent against Zelensky since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv who has frequently clashed with Zelensky, was among the protesters. 'Sapo and Nabu must remain independent institutions,' he said. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's former foreign minister, called the measures 'a bad day' for Ukraine.
Marta Kos, the EU's top official for enlargement, warned that the move to clamp down on the agencies was 'a serious step back' for Kyiv's membership bid. She also said that their ability to operate without interference from the government was 'essential for Ukraine's EU path.' The offices of the two agencies were raided by Ukraine's security services on Monday over the claims that they had been infiltrated by Moscow. Opposition figures said the searches were an act of intimidation.
Zelensky's move came after Vitaliy Shabunin, a well-known anti-corruption activist, was charged with fraud and evading military service in a case that was widely condemned as politically motivated. He faces up to ten years in prison, if found guilty. He is currently serving with the Ukrainian military. His house in Kyiv was raided by masked Ukrainian investigators while his wife and two small children were at home and he was stationed at a military base.
'After these events, I feel like Ukraine is no longer a full-fledged democracy. It feels more like a hybrid regime, still democratic, but with elements of authoritarianism and kleptocracy,' Shabunin, 40, told The Times in an interview from a location around 20 miles from the frontline.
The co-founder of Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Action Center, an independent group, Shabunin said the charges against him were absurd because he had volunteered for service on the first day of the war and was then later seconded to work on anti-corruption efforts, an order he could not legally refuse. 'This is pure political persecution,' he said.
Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation has denied that the case is linked to Shabunin's anti-corruption activities. The raid on his home came almost five years to the day since his house was set on fire in apparent retaliation for his work. No one has been arrested over the attack.
Shabunin also warned that Zelensky had crossed a 'red line' by moving against anti-corruption organisations. 'Ukrainians have always had a very, very strong demand for justice. And Ukrainians, like no one else, sense when the president does not give a damn about justice, and when he personally attacks it.'
He suggested that Zelensky had become confident that he now had a free hand in Ukraine because Kyiv's western allies were now less focused on strengthening the country's democracy.
'Zelensky is showing his true face because the West, to put it mildly, is turning a blind eye. This is the real Zelensky, not the person we saw when the United States and the European Union demanded reforms and a fight against corruption,' he said.
He also warned that Zelensky's determination to rein in independent anti-corruption groups could lead to violent protests. 'We will not be dancing on Maidan this time,' he said. 'Half of the country has combat experience. This is a scenario that [President] Putin is likely dreaming about. God forbid it should come to this. This is why it is in the interests of the West to stop Zelensky now, before such a confrontation.'
He said, however, that western countries should continue to arm Kyiv. 'I don't think Zelensky will forgive me for speaking out so loudly. [But] whatever happens to me or whatever happens in the country, we want the West to continue to give weapons to Ukrainians and Ukraine. We need to survive. We know how to deal with our corrupt authoritarian elites. But without weapons we will die.'
Zelensky's first term was due to end in May 2024, but Ukraine has banned elections during wartime, a policy that has wide support across the country. Although his popularity has slipped since the early days of the 2022 invasion by Russia, the Ukrainian president is still the country's second most trusted figure after Valery Zaluzhny, the former commander of the Ukrainian armed forces who is now Kyiv's ambassador in London, according to polls. It is unclear, however, how the unfolding row will impact Zelensky's ratings.
One European diplomat speaking on the condition of anonymity described the measures against the anti-corruption groups as 'unfortunate,' but insisted there was still hope for Ukrainian democracy. 'Is it a setback? Yes. Is this a point of no-return? No,' the official said, according to the AFP news agency.
However, the confrontation has opened up an unprecedented rift between the Ukrainian leader and civil society. The Kyiv Independent, Ukraine's main English-language website, accused Zelensky of betraying the country's democracy.
'Zelensky is making a choice to undermine Ukrainian democratic institutions in pursuit of expanding his personal power,' it wrote in an editorial. 'The same man who represents Ukraine's fight against Russia can't represent the destruction of Ukraine's democracy.'
Back in Kyiv, protesters said that they were determined to keep battling to ensure Ukraine did not slide back into its authoritarian past. 'They are legalising corruption, and I have to fight against this' said Artyom, an 18-year-old protester. 'Our democratic institutions and democracy itself is collapsing,' said Kateryna, another protester.