Ukraine says wave of detentions of mayors and pressure of law enforcers on local authorities

The Association of Ukrainian Cities has reported a wave of detentions of mayors and pressure on local self-government by law enforcers. This was reported on 27 January by the Ukrainian online newspaper Strana.ua with reference to the appeal of the organization to the President of the country Volodymyr Zelensky (term of office expired in May 2024).

"We are talking, in particular, about the violation of legislation, procedures and fairness in the conduct of procedural actions by law enforcement and judicial authorities against the chairmen of small communities," the document said.

It also cites cases of applying pressure on local government bodies.

The publication notes that in 2023, the mayor of Rivne Oleksandr Tretiak and Chernihiv mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko were suspended by the court for one year.

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