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Ukraine's Zelenskiy Dismisses Top Prosecutor, Head Of Security Service

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 17, 2022

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has fired the country's top prosecutor and the head of the state security service, in a shakeup spurred by reports that dozens of people from the services are now working against Ukrainian interests in Russian-occupied territory.

The decrees signed on July 17 dismissed Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova and Ivan Bakanov, head of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU).

In a statement, Zelenskiy said without mentioning Venediktova or Bakanov by name that "the specific actions and any inaction of each official in the security sector and in law enforcement agencies will be evaluated."

He said that, "as of today, 651 criminal proceedings have been registered regarding treason and collaboration activities of employees of the prosecutor's office, pretrial investigation bodies, and other law enforcement agencies."

"In particular, more than 60 employees of the prosecutor's office and the SBU remained in the occupied territory and are working against our state," he said.

"Such an array of crimes against the foundations of national security of the state and the connections recorded between the employees of the security forces of Ukraine and the special services of Russia raise very serious questions for the relevant leaders."

"Each of these questions will receive a proper answer. Today, I have decided to remove the prosecutor-general from office and to remove the head of the Security Service of Ukraine," he said.

The duties of the Prosecutor-General's Office have been assigned to Oleksiy Symonenko, according to one of the decrees. Symonenko is deputy prosecutor -general.

Bakanov, a friend and former business partner of Zelenskiy's, had headed the SBU since August 2019, while Venediktova became prosecutor-general in March 2020.

Neither Zelenskiy nor the decrees said who would take over at the SBU.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-prosecutor-sbu- chief-dismissed/31947477.html

Copyright (c) 2022. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.