Freedom of Speech in Ukraine on Pause: New Laws Shield Corrupt Officials

One after another, laws and draft bills in Ukraine have been introduced that restrict freedom of speech and protect corrupt officials.

This was reported by Sergiy Pogrebetsky.

Over the past few months, the Verkhovna Rada – “Servants of the People” + OPZZh:

1. Laws No. 13271-1 and No. 13271-2 were adopted. They limit the monitoring of an official’s lifestyle to the period of holding office and allow checks only on property, income, and expenses acquired during that time.

This creates an opportunity to legalize corrupt assets obtained before entering public service or through their sale after resignation.

2. Access to real estate registers of legal entities was closed, law No. 11533. For everyone without exception.

This law became a real gift for officials and businessmen who are used to hiding their wealth behind controlled companies.

3. They plan to adopt law No. 14057 from 21.09.2025, which will practically prohibit the conduct and publication of journalistic investigations.

The law also allows the removal of all media information about corrupt officials, as allegedly “no longer of public interest,” at the request of the corrupt official himself.

Law No. 14057 also imposes a ban on journalists and media outlets from publishing MPs’ correspondence without their permission.

Now deputies can freely exchange messages in parliament with prostitutes — the court will accuse journalists and channels that spread screenshots and may even shut them down.

4. There was an attempt to pass law No. 12414 on limiting the powers of NABU and SAP. It didn’t work out. For now…

Freedom of speech is on pause. It feels as though the current authorities are preparing for a major shake-up and are padding themselves in advance with a cushion of laws.

EMPR