Law No. 4555: human rights defenders demand the repeal of threatening changes adopted under the guise of war

STATEMENT

of civil society organisations on Law No. 4555 and the use of war to exert pressure and undermine the democratic foundations of the state

We, representatives of civil society organisations that have been dealing with the consequences of armed aggression and strengthening democratic institutions in wartime for many years, are deeply outraged by the decision to strip Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies of their independence. This decision was adopted by Parliament on 22 July without following the proper procedures or engaging in meaningful discussion with society. On the same day, the President of Ukraine signed Law No. 4555-IX, which was published at night and came into force on 23 July 2025.

Law No. 4555 poses a serious threat to the foundations of democracy and human rights, and calls into question Ukraine’s further progress towards European integration. It sets a dangerous precedent for using Parliament to deal irreparable damage to democratic institutions and the independent judiciary, and to undermine the trust of Ukraine’s international partners.

The hastily adopted law in fact leads to changes in criminal legislation, which have already been noted by various expert teams, in particular narrowing the powers and in fact abolishing the exclusive jurisdiction of NABU and SAPO; allows the Prosecutor General to interfere in NABU’s pre-trial investigations (in fact, creating conditions for top-level corrupt officials to avoid accountability); expands the possibilities for conducting searches without a court warrant; undermines the independence of prosecutors and in fact suspends the competitive selection procedure for prosecutors at all levels during the period of martial law; significantly expands other powers of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, who is appointed without a competitive process at the initiative of the President, and introduces other critical changes.

Of particular concern is the haste with which these legislative amendments were initiated and adopted by Parliament in a non-transparent manner without any consultation with the public or experts. The process of adopting the law was accompanied not only by procedural and regulatory violations. It was also marked by particular cynicism. The amendments were made to a draft law that had long been awaited by victims of the war, namely, it provided for the protection of the rights of relatives of missing persons to an objective, impartial and prompt pre-trial investigation. Such a process for adopting decisions that are crucial for the state and society is unacceptable and undermines trust in parliamentarianism, especially in the context of ongoing external aggression and the peace negotiation process.

Moreover, Law No. 4555 is in fact the culmination of a series of attacks on anti-corruption institutions, accompanied by a very dangerous trend – covering up the actions of the authorities under the guise of “state security” and “combating enemies and accomplices of the Russian Federation”. This sets a dangerous precedent that threatens not only to undermine the rule of law in Ukraine, but also the policy of reintegration, recovery, and the building of sustainable peace – goals we all strive for.

Of serious concern is the growing practice of using alleged “connections with Russia” or the temporarily occupied territories as a pretext to justify ignoring the results of independent competitions for top positions, exerting political pressure on opponents, destroying institutions, and prosecuting individuals and businesses. The use of such labels as weapons to discredit and attack opponents is becoming the pattern. Such actions not only cause direct harm to democracy and the country’s security, but also undermine the critically important process of reintegrating victims of war, our citizens from the TOT of Ukraine, and create opportunities for abuse and unverified interpretations.

The attempt to reduce security policy to a “black mark” calls into question the very idea of reintegrating the occupied territories. If any person who has remained living under occupation or has relatives in occupation or in the Russian Federation is automatically considered dangerous, this simply contradicts the declared policy of the importance of returning people and territories to the state. Such stigmatisation only distances the state from its citizens and turns the policy on the consequences of war into an instrument of punishment rather than protection.

We stress the vital importance of supporting victims of war and maintaining ties with citizens who left the country to save themselves and their families, as well as with citizens living in the TOT, who are Ukraine’s strongest link with the temporarily occupied territories. The liquidation of the relevant Ministry of National Unity (formerly the Ministry for Reintegration of the TOT) and the subsequent fragmentation of reintegration powers among other ministries have already led to a breakdown in the unity of state policy towards millions of citizens affected by the war. This creates chaos and uncertainty for those affected, making their return and reintegration more difficult. The use of any connection with the occupied territory or the Russian Federation as a tool against dissenters or to undermine the capacity and independence of institutions is an alarming signal for society and jeopardises the entire state reintegration policy.

In view of the above, we call for steps to preserve democratic values, strengthen the rule of law, and ensure Ukraine’s national unity amid ongoing aggression:

The President of Ukraine should ensure the review and repeal of harmful provisions of Law No. 4555-IX, which undermine the independence of anti-corruption bodies, jeopardise the independence of the prosecution office and the stability of the criminal justice system against abuse and human rights violations.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine should support the legislative initiative to immediately review and repeal the harmful provisions of Law No. 4555-IX.

Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine:

• should immediately appoint a Head of the Economic Security Bureau in accordance with the recommendation of the Selection Commission for the Director of the ESB of Ukraine.
• should restore a coherent and effective state policy regarding war-affected citizens and the reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories, based on trust, principles of transitional justice, human rights values, and ensuring proper coordination of all relevant processes while considering real security challenges.

Law enforcement and prosecution authorities:

• should cease the practice of using selective and unfounded accusations of links with the Russian Federation or the TOT of Ukraine to exert pressure and persecute citizens, activists, journalists, political opponents, businesses, and institutions, which destroys public trust and undermines national unity.
• should minimise the use of urgent searches without a warrant from an investigating judge and take into account the principle of proportionality of interference with human rights and freedoms during investigations. 

Signed by:

Human Rights Centre ZMINA

NGO “Donbas SOS”

JustGroup 

The Crimean Human Rights Group

NGO “Civil Holding “GROUP OF INFLUENCE”

CF “East SOS”

NGO “Donbas SOS”

Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group

Centre for the Study of the Rule of Law, NaUKMA

Institute of Mass Information

Kharkiv Institute for Social Research

Analytical group “TOLK”

NGO “Blue Bird”

NGO “The Centre of Civil Education Almenda”

Center for Leadership of UCU

Human Rights House Crimea 

Ukrainian Women Lawyers Association “JurFem”

Media Initiative for Human Rights 

Ukraine without Torture 

NGO “Fund for Fundamental Research Support”

Expert Center for Human Rights