Editor’s note: This editorial has been updated to reflect the fact Zelensky signed the bill into law on the evening of July 22, as shown on the Parliament's website. Last week, we warned of a coming anti-democratic backslide. Now, we see it happening. A parliamentary vote, led by President Volodymyr Zelensky’s lawmakers, today took away the independence of Ukraine’s key anti-corruption bodies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Z

Last week, we warned of a coming anti-democratic backslide. Now, we see it happening.

Under the new law, the prosecutor general, a notoriously non-independent figure, will now oversee anti-corruption investigations — in a complete overturn of the system that was set up to be independent from other law enforcement bodies.

In reality, it means that Zelensky’s office will be able to stop investigations with a phone call.

It also closely follows an escalated prosecution of Ukraine’s best-known anti-corruption activist, an outspoken critic of Zelensky.

  • pelespirit@sh.itjust.works
    10·
    2 days ago

    So, unnamed journalists, or perhaps the owner, or…? No leader is perfect, but wartime and holding your own against Putin is no easy feat. You could do 1000x worse than him and now you’re nitpicking during war time? I guess I’m jealous that you feel like you can when our trainwreck is still building concentration camps to enrich his buddies.

    The last few lines are getting closer,

    Ukraine’s democracy can still be salvaged. In peacetime, that responsibility would fall on the Ukrainian people.

    But today, Ukrainians are fighting — and dying — for Europe and the whole free world.

    Will the West hold the line for them?

      • pelespirit@sh.itjust.works
        3·
        2 days ago

        This is wikipedia, so it’s probably a little biased. Biased in what way is something I don’t know enough to say. This does tell us something though, they want to hold everyone’s feet to the fire. I understand why journalists want to do this is normal times, but when there is a war going on, you need people to be behind you. Also, most people are ignorant and need to be spoon fed, especially during war time. They have other shit on their mind and they need a hero in their lives.

        The Kyiv Independent

        In October 2021, disputes arose between employees of the Kyiv Post and the owner of the newspaper. Journalists at the newspaper believed that even under the presidency of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, their previous critical reporting was adversely affecting the business of the owner, who had bought the barely-profitable newspaper from Mohammad Zahoor in March 2018, and invested significant funds in it. The owner of the Kyiv Post at the time was the Syrian-born investor Adnan Kivan (Kadorr Group, which owns Channel Odesa 7). Brian Bonner, the former CEO of the Kyiv Post, said in April 2022 that the newspaper’s “fragmentary reporting” had brought it into conflict with every Ukrainian government it dealt with so far, including Zelensky’s. According to Bonner, Zelenskyy had tried to portray himself as a reformer to Western governments, and alleged that critical reporting had been seen as undermining that message. The government, Bonner said, had begun to lean on Kivan, who had seen ownership of a “crusading media outlet” as more trouble than it was worth.[2][3]

        The president’s office denies it, the prosecutor’s office denies it, Kivan denies it - but I know we were under pressure … The Kyiv Post survived [former presidents] Kuchma, Yushchenko, Yanukovych, and Poroshenko, but died under Zelenskyy. That was a big surprise to me.[2]

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kyiv_Independent

        Edit: I’m going to add this, they are owned by journalists and a media company apparently

        The Kyiv Independent is an English-language Ukrainian online newspaper founded in November 2021, three months before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, by former staff of the Kyiv Post and media consultancy Jnomics Media. The online newspaper is also active on Twitter, Bluesky and Reddit.[1]

    • limer@lemmy.ml
      6·
      2 days ago

      The Ukrainian revolution had from the very start an anti corruption message. Politicians have both taken advantage and undermined it. This week is not unexpected. Zelenskyy backtracking today is not unexpected. Him using smoke and mirrors, in his new idea, to avoid undermining political allies will not be unexpected next month.

      It is utterly predictable that this newspaper will issue similar editorial later.

      One day there will be not so much corruption in the life blood of Ukrainian politics. But not soon. Maybe in a generation?