Rally (Photo: Masi Nayem's Facebook account)

On Tuesday evening, July 22, rallies were held in a number of Ukrainian cities against the law that deprives the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of their independence. This was reported by Radio Liberty and Interfax-Ukraine.

According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, as of 20:30, about 1,200 people have gathered on Ivan Franko Square near the Ivan Franko National Theater in Kyiv, and people continue to actively approach.

The protesters are holding placards with inscriptions: "And here we are again", "Enough with the lawlessness", "12414 is a shame!", "You will hear us", "Yanukovych ended badly", "I do not want to join the customs union".

They chant slogans: "Veto the law", "No to corruption in government", "Shame", "Hands off NABU" and "Return to Europe".

Radio Liberty reports that the rally is also taking place in Dnipro. About 50 people gathered in the center of the city to protest, in particular, with a call to veto Law No. 12414 on NABU and SAPO.

channel 5 reported that Lviv has joined the protest. Local publics are posting photos and videos of the rally taking place near the monument to Taras Shevchenko on Svobody Avenue.

Meanwhile, the website of the Verkhovna Rada no longer displays Law 12414, which effectively deprives the NABU and the SAPO of their independence. It states that "the resource you are looking for may have been deleted, its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.".

The section of the VRU website containing the adopted laws is also unavailable. The message refers to technical work.

Screenshot: LIGA.net
  • On July 22, the Rada supported the law No. 12414, the amendments to which abolish the independence of the NABU and the SAPO. The decision was supported by 263 MPs. On the same day, Stefanchuk signed the law, and the document was submitted to the President for signature.
  • Later, a roll call vote was posted on the VRU website.
  • NABU head Kryvonos urged the President not to sign the law.