On July 22, Ukraine's parliament passed a law that effectively limits the independence of the country's key anti-corruption institutions, NABU and SAPO.
NABU (The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine) investigates top-level corruption among public officials, judges, and politicians.
SAPO(the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) is an independent body that prosecutes those cases in court.
Both these institutions were created after the 2014 Revolution of Dignity in response to demands from Ukrainian society and international partners.
Their independence has been one of the cornerstones of Ukraine's reform agenda and a key condition for EU and U.S. financial support.
Though introduced as a technical amendment, the law was rushed through with little public discussion and quickly sent to the president for signature. It happened after raids targeting employees of the very institutions the law seeks to restrain.
The move sparked widespread public discontent and street protests across the country, many led by young people, students, veterans and civic activists.
In this analysis, we aim to explain what these institutions are and what exactly caused such a reaction from Ukrainians.
Ukraine's parliament passed Law #12414, officially titled "On Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine Regarding the Peculiarities of Pre‑trial Investigation of Criminal Offences Related to the Disappearance of Persons under Special Circumstances during Martial Law", on July 22, 2025.
It significantly minimises the independence and power of NABU and SAPO. The bill was approved by 263 MPs and signed by the president the same night.
The new law gives the Prosecutor General direct control over these institutions, including the ability to demand case files, issue orders to SAPO prosecutors and transfer NABU cases to other law enforcement bodies.
Just days earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General's Office conducted raids on NABU, accusing several detectives of possible links to Russia.
The law was adopted hastily and without proper public communication.
Leaders of NABU and SAPO asked the president to veto the law, warning that such changes could destroy Ukraine's ability to combat high-level corruption and undermine public trust.
The move also raised concerns among international partners. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that any rollback on anti-corruption could mess up Ukraine's EU integration path.
The president Zelenskyy defended the law as a tool to "purge" alleged Russian influence and promised that the agencies would continue operating, pledging a joint anti-corruption plan and a new draft law to reinforce their independence.
On the evening ofJuly 22, protests erupted in cities across Ukraine as people gathered in town squares: young people, veterans, volunteers, internally displaced persons, civic activists, cultural figures and others. There were no political slogans, no party flags.
Just handwritten messages on cardboard signs:
More people in more cities gathered for peaceful demonstrations on July 23, marking this day as the largest civilian demonstrations since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion.
People state that this is not a protest "for NABU" or "against Zelenskyy". It's a response to the government's attempt to rush through changes that threaten the fundamental principles of accountability and integrity, which form the foundation of Ukraine's support from the EU, G7 and other international allies.
In 2013, then-President Yanukovych suddenly abandoned plans on signing an Association Agreement with the EU, despite numerous promises to pursue European integration. The decision was made behind closed doors and without public discussion. That sudden change of plans triggered student-led protests in Kyiv, which eventually grew into the Revolution of Dignity.
Now, in 2025, Ukrainians see echoes of that moment. The law weakening anti-corruption institutions was rushed through parliament, signed overnight and preceded by raids on employees of NABU and SAPO.
People holding signs like "Don't go back to 2013" and "Don't become Yanukovych" emphasise that these are not accusations, but rather a direct attempt and plea to prevent current government from repeating fatal mistakes of the past.
Also, it serves as a reminder that the people are the ultimate source of power, a principle that is enshrined in the Constitution.
What outraged Ukrainianswas not just what kind of law was passed, but how it happened. Speed, secrecy, late-night votes and amendments pushed through without public debate are seen as violations of the basic rules when freedom and justice are valued as the highest priority.
These demonstrations are not about defending institutions or individuals. For many participants, NABU and SAPO were just organisations they'd heard about in the news. They couldn't name their leaders or detail their investigations.
People gathered because of something far greater:the fear that Ukraine's democratic trajectory may be reversed from the European path, the exact one people stood for during the 2013-2014 Revolution of Dignity and continue to defend every day on the battlefield.
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This publication was compiled with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. It's content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.
