The Kyiv Independent: Sanctions against Poroshenko and the persecution of Shabunin are a rollback of democracy, Russian style
фото: Reuters
Extrajudicial sanctions against Poroshenko and the persecution of Shabunin are alarming signs of the curtailment of democracy in Ukraine.
The English-language Ukrainian publication The Kyiv Independent writes about this in an editorial entitled “Ukraine’s democracy now risks a Russian-style rollback.”
Journalists note that the persecution of the head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, Vitaly Shabunin, is not an isolated incident.
In particular, another problem is the use for political purposes of the National Security and Defense Council, the body that issues sanctions against both Ukrainians and foreigners.
“Instead of an emergency tool to protect Ukraine’s security, sanctions now appear to be used as an arbitrary, extra-judicial tool to crack down on opponents. The most prominent target was former President Petro Poroshenko, Zelensky’s main domestic political opponent,” the newspaper writes.
“Other warning signs include signs of pressure campaigns against independent media. War cannot be a pretext for undermining democracy in Ukraine, nor for not calling abuse of power. Selective justice and persecution of political opponents are incompatible with the country Ukraine is fighting for,” Kyiv concludes.