Human Rights First Alarmed by Ukrainian Parliament’s Vote to Strip Independence of Anti-Corruption Bodies

Today’s vote by Ukraine’s parliament to strip the independence of two main anti-corruption institutions, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) is a seriously alarming move. If President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signs the new legislation into law it will bring the institutions under the authority of the prosecutor general, ending their independence.

Human Rights First has been working with anti-corruption activists in Ukraine for over a decade.

“Setting up the NABU and SAPO were key wins for democracy after the 2014 revolution. Scrapping their independence takes things back to more ominous times. This move, taken with last week’s judicial harassment of leading anti-corruption activist Vitaliy Shabunin, seriously undermines national and international trust in Ukraine’s commitment to fighting corruption,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley.

“We join with local Ukrainian activists, the European Union and others in criticizing today’s vote.”