Mass rallies in Ukraine against blocking of NABU and SAPO. VIDEO&PHOTOS (updated)
On the evening of Wednesday, July 23, protests against the law stripping independence from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) resumed in several Ukrainian cities.
This is reported by Suspilne TV channel, Censor.NET informs.
Rallies have already started in Odesa, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, and Poltava. People have also begun gathering in Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kremenchuk, Chernivtsi, and Dnipro.
In Kyiv, protesters gathered near the Ivan Franko Theater.
People are holding posters with slogans such as "What about human rights?", "Independence of NABU and SAPO", "Hands off NABU and SAPO", "Law 12414 is chains", and "12414 = corruption."
Protest rally in Odesa
Protest rally in Odesa
Protest rally in Odesa
Protest rally in Odesa
Protest rally in Mykolaiv
Protest rally in Zaporizhzhia
Zaporizhzhia
Zaporizhzhia
Lviv
Poltava
Poltava
Protests are also taking place in Uzhhorod, Ternopil, Chernihiv, and Rivne.
Ternopil
Chernihiv
Rivne
Uzhhorod
Odesa
Earlier reports stated that on Wednesday, July 23, protests would take place in several Ukrainian cities against the Verkhovna Rada’s adoption of Law No. 12414, which effectively destroys the independence of NABU and SAPO.
As a reminder, in his address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he would submit a bill to the Verkhovna Rada that would "ensure the strength of the law enforcement system".
Scandalous law No. 12414 on NABU and SAPO
Recall that the Verkhovna Rada passed Bill 12414, which eliminates the independence of the NABU and the SAPO on 22 July.
In the evening, President Zelenskyy signed it.
NABU Director Semen Kryvonos called on the President not to sign the bill, as it would make NABU and SAPO dependent.
In Dnipro, people protested against the adoption of draft law 12414 by the Verkhovna Rada, which effectively means the elimination of the independence of the NABU and the SAPO.
A protest also began in Kyiv.
In a video address, Zelenskyy later stated that the anti-corruption infrastructure in Ukraine would work. On 23 July, the law limiting the powers of the NABU and the SAPO came into force.
Later, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that on July 23 he gathered all heads of law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies and agreed with them on constructive cooperation.
