New York (UCCA) – The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the largest grassroots representation of Americans of Ukrainian descent, is deeply alarmed by the recent signs of selective justice in Ukraine, and is compelled to condemn attempts by the Ukrainian government to pursue politically motivated cases against former government officials and leaders of Ukraine’s civic society – including their expressed desire to detain former President Petro Poroshenko before a political show trial.
 
In July 2019, UCCA stood with the G7 ambassadors of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States in reminding President Zelenskyy that the lustration laws which took effect following the Revolution of Dignity were necessitated by the historic nature of President Yanukovych’s high crimes and dereliction of duty. In sharp contrast to that lawless era, the government officials and civic leaders targeted today by President Zelenskyy’s political appointees instead presided over a historic rebirth of Ukraine’s national defense structure, and turned around what was a contracting economy following Russia’s invasion. Instead of leaving the country vulnerable to further invasion by Russia, Ukraine’s former leaders succeeded in convincing the United States to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons, and rebuilt both the Ukrainian Armed Forces as well as a formidable, homegrown armaments industry.
 
While lustration of the Yanukovych government was one of the demands of the Euromaidan demonstrators in 2013-14, today’s Ukraine needs to focus on moving the country forward and fighting the enemy at the gate, not tearing the country apart with political infighting or airing of personal grievances. 
 
UCCA reminds Ukraine’s leaders that selective, politically motivated justice can irreparably damage to Ukraine’s image with the international community. Instead of destroying Ukraine’s credibility among its global partners, Ukraine’s leadership should refrain from any attempts to politicize the rule of law.