Vitaly Shabunin has been fighting corruption in Ukraine for years - criticizing those in power, initiating reforms and heading the Anti-Corruption Center. And it is he who has now become the subject of investigations, ARD writes. He is accused of having left his post without permission after joining the army in 2022 and receiving an illegal salary for months. He is also alleged to have stolen a 20-year-old jeep.
Shabunin and his team reject the charges and call on the State Bureau of Investigation to "apologize for its lies."
Criticism of the investigators' brutal approach
“Searches without court orders and suspicions are absurd,” says Darya Kalenyuk, co-founder of the Anti-Corruption Center with Shabunin. “This is arbitrariness and political persecution because of the clear position of Shabunin and the Anti-Corruption Center,” she emphasizes to the German public media.
Kalenyuk witnessed the search carried out by masked men in her colleague's home. She recorded everything on her phone and says that Shabunin's family was initially denied the right to contact a lawyer. Even his children's tablets were taken away, which - in the context of the accusations, even if they are justified - is completely unacceptable.
Zelensky had promised to end corruption
Kalenyuk is convinced that this is a targeted attempt at intimidation. She also makes severe accusations against President Volodymyr Zelensky: “This is an important signal to critical non-governmental organizations, but also to the soldiers - if you criticize the presidency openly, we can destroy you and use the entire apparatus for this”. According to the activist, “times of war further limit democracy and democratic institutions”.
During the 2019 presidential election campaign, Zelensky had a meeting with Shabunin, announcing himself as a candidate who would end corruption, ARD recalls. But doubts that this promise will be fulfilled are growing.
Open letter from civil society to Zelensky
International observers are concerned about what is happening with Shabunin. “Everything looks like political persecution, like revenge against someone who allowed himself to oppose the government. This raises big questions and has little to do with Ukraine's course towards the EU,” says Ukraine expert Matthias Nels, a political consultant.
Shabunin is under pressure because of his criticism, most representatives of civil society are convinced. That is why 90 non-governmental organizations addressed an open letter to President Zelensky, ARD reported. The main request in the letter: that justice not be abused politically.
The State Bureau of Investigation “is not independent”
In front of the German public media, Matthias Nels points out that in his opinion the State Bureau of Investigation is not independent. “This service is still politically controlled and that is why it is important to look carefully at its actions. It is close to the mind that in this case we are talking about political persecution”, explains the observer.
The outrage is also growing because the accusations against Zelensky are becoming more frequent - precisely on issues related to corruption. Zelensky's confidant Oleksiy Chernyshov, the former Minister of Unity, has also been targeted in the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Instead of taking a stand on the issue, Zelensky recently simply closed the ministry, ARD notes.
„The government is simply ignoring the law"
The German public media also described the case of a vacant directorship in the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine, which is tasked with prosecuting tax fraud. „The selection committee settled on one candidate, but the government refused to appoint him", says Darya Kalenyuk. But it never became clear why the candidate, an investigator at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, was unsuitable.
„The government is simply ignoring the law", Kalenyuk told ARD, who hopes for a reaction from Ukraine's international partners.
Mr. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann from the German Free Democratic Party says that developments are being closely monitored. "For EU accession candidates like Ukraine, the rule of law is a non-negotiable criterion." President Zelensky must ensure that his country stays on course towards democracy, she told ARD. Sztrak-Zimmermann also said that civil rights are being closely monitored.
Matthias Nels, for his part, points out that most people in Ukraine support the necessary reforms. “They will never allow Zelensky or anyone else to become an autocratic ruler."
Meanwhile, the investigation against Shabunin continues. The activist has returned to his unit in Kharkiv and wants to continue defending Ukraine - against Russian aggression from without and against corruption from within.
Authors: Vasily Golod | Florian Kellermann (ARD)