With 263 votes against 13, the parliament voted on Tuesday for Ukraine's national anti-corruption bureau (Nabu) and the Specialized anti-corruption prosecutor's office (Sapo), both state agencies, to be subordinated to the prosecutor general appointed by the president.
The bill, which was introduced by the president's office, was subsequently signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyj.
In Kyiv and several other major cities, demonstrators took to the streets to express their discontent, reports The Kyiv Independent.
Criticism is harsh even from within the parliament, where opponents were heard shouting "shame" during the vote, as well as from non-governmental organizations and rights groups in the corruption-plagued country.
Politicizing investigations
The law change opens up the possibility of political interference in investigations of high-profile corruption cases, says Anastasia Radina, chair of the parliament's anti-corruption committee and a member of parliament for Zelenskyj's ruling party.
This effectively terminates the work of two independent institutions, says Sapo chief Oleksandr Klymenko at a press conference, according to The Kyiv Independent.
Corruption investigations will become meaningless in practice because President Volodymyr Zelenskyj's prosecutor general will stop all investigations related to the president's friends, according to a statement from the civil society organization Anti-corruption action center.
"A setback"
Even from the EU, where Ukraine has been granted candidate status, there is concern and emphasis that the union provides the country with significant economic support conditional on increased transparency, judicial reforms, and democratic governance.
"Deeply concerned about today's vote in Ukraine's parliament. The dismantling of important mechanisms that protect Nabu's independence is a serious setback", writes EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos on X.
"Independent bodies like Nabu and Sapo are fundamental to Ukraine's path to the EU".
On Monday, the police conducted extensive raids on Nabu, where an employee was arrested on suspicion of spying on behalf of Russia. More than a dozen employees are under investigation, according to The Kyiv Independent.
