Hyper-Corruption Undermining Ukrainian Defiance of Putin’s Aggression
European Council on Foreign Relations, 5 January 2018, Ukraine on Verge of Kleptrocracy: Europe needs to confront Ukraine’s leadership sooner rather than later.
Extract: On January 3rd former Georgian President Michael Saakashvili’s plea for asylum in Ukraine was turned down. If deported to Georgia, he will likely be show-trialled without a fair chance of defence. Since Saakashvili broke his alliance with President Poroshenko, Ukraine has been working overtime to get rid of him. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko tried to bring about his own political show trial of Saakashvili, which he had to abandon, due to weak evidence, but also pressure from the EU and the US.
Lutsenko himself was once a victim of a show trial under the Yanukovych regime. Now he enacts them on behalf of Poroshenko. On November 6th Block Poroshenko and People’s Front introduced a bill calling for the dismissal of Artem Sytnyk as head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and tightening political control over the bureau. Sytnyk’s ‘crime’ was to bring indictments for corruption and graft against high-ranking oligarchs, presidential advisers, and the son of a former prime minister.
The fall of 2017 witnessed increased attacks on anti-corruption activists, NGOs, and investigative journalists. From politically motivated arrests, to fabricated evidence, organised protests, harassment, and open intimidation, the list of dubious activities used to undermine investigative work is long. Poroshenko is taking steps to systematically undermine anti-corruption efforts and the rule of law. For more, please see the hyperlink below:
http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_ukraine_on_the_brink_of_kleptocracy.
Foreign Policy & Domestic Politics 