Shabunin after 15 hours of searches: Zelensky’s government is moving towards authoritarianism under the guise of war

After a 15-hour search without a court order, the head of the Anti-Corruption Center, Vitaliy Shabunin, accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of a gradual slide into corrupt authoritarianism. The anti-corruption activist says that pressure on critics of the government is becoming systemic, and legal mechanisms are being adjusted to political goals.

This was reported by the Anti-Corruption Center.

On the night of July 11-12, a 15-hour search was conducted at the apartment of Vitaliy Shabunin, the head of the Anti-Corruption Center, which, according to him, was carried out without a court order. After that, Shabunin published a resonant statement in which he directly accused President Zelenskyy of building corrupt authoritarianism.

“Taking advantage of the war, Volodymyr Zelensky is taking the first but confident steps towards corrupt authoritarianism,” the report said.

He cited a number of examples that, in his opinion, indicate the decline of democracy:

• The bill from 123 deputies from the “Servant of the People” regarding amnesty for corruption in defense procurement, which, although it was stopped under public pressure, according to Shabunin, the authorities are preparing a new version – already with guarantees for the SBU and the Prosecutor General’s Office.
• The government’s refusal to appoint the winner of the competition to the position of chairman of the BEB, despite legal procedures, is an example of ignoring the law for the sake of political expediency.
• Persecution of critics of the government, including criminal proceedings against Shabunin himself and other anti-corruption activists who publicly disagree with the OP’s policies.

Shabunin also believes that the search was an attempt to manipulate his phone. According to him, the SBU officer was the first to leave the room with his mobile phone in his hands, and later they allegedly “found” this unlocked phone on the doorstep – already in the hands of a SBI operative.

“To catch up. To intimidate. To set an example. So that everyone can see: if Zelensky wants to, he will do anything to anyone,” Shabunin summed up.

The search lasted from 2:00 p.m. on Friday until 5:00 a.m. on Saturday. According to the activist, he is charged with an offense that carries a sentence of 5–10 years in prison.

It is known that on July 11, employees of the State Bureau of Investigation reported Ukrainian anti-corruption activist Vitaliy Shabunin on suspicion of evasion of duty and fraud.

It was previously reported thatthe State Bureau of Investigation is conducting searches at the home of Vitaliy Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Center . The CPC team suggested that this could have happened because of criticism of the Office of the President and Andriy Yermak personally.

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