Ukrainian protests grow as Zelensky signs law stripping anti-corruption agencies of independence

For the second consecutive day, protesters gathered in city squares across Ukraine on July 23 to demonstrate against a law that effectively strips the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) of their independence.

In Kyiv, protesters returned to the public square outside the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater. According to local media, the crowd swelled to several thousand people, a substantial increase from Tuesday’s turnout. Demonstrators came with homemade signs and chanted slogans including “The people hold the power!” and “Hands off NABU and SAP!” Protests also took place in Odesa, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Ivano-Frankivsk. According to Hromadske, demonstrations were announced in at least 17 cities across Ukraine.

Verkhovna Rada deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak announced that parliament, which he said had gone into recess, will meet next week to “overturn these corrupt rules about dismantling NABU and SAP.” “The uncompromising stance of partners (particularly regarding money) and the protests were crucial,” Zheleznyak stated. His claims could not be independently verified.

Commenting on the public backlash against the law he signed, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he plans to submit a bill to Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada that will respond to the criticism and “strengthen the independence of [Ukraine’s] anti-corruption institutions.”

On July 22, Zelensky signed Bill No. 12414, which effectively subordinates NABU and SAP to the Prosecutor General’s office and strips them of their independence. The measure gives the Prosecutor General’s office access to all NABU cases and the authority to issue mandatory written instructions to NABU detectives. It also grants the power to close investigations upon defense request, settle jurisdictional disputes unilaterally, and requisition case materials for reassignment.