The unprecedented social media attack on Leshchenko was due not to his alleged legal violations but to his achievements. Leshchenko has come under fire from media and bloggers protecting the interests of President Petro Poroshenko and the People’s Front party because he has ruthlessly attacked corruption, including that of Poroshenko allies and People’s Front politicians.
Instead of focusing their attention on investigating high-profile murders, and multibillion-dollar theft by both ex-President Viktor Yanukovych’s associates and incumbent top officials, the authorities are channeling their energy into smearing and punishing their critics. Apart from Leshchenko, reformist lawmaker Svitlana Zalishchuk, investigative journalist Dmytro Gnap, the Yevropeiska Pravda newspaper and comedian Volodymyr Zelensky have all become targets of well-coordinated witch hunts.
The accusations against Leshchenko should be investigated, but they are far from being a top priority. We call the authorities’ bluff: they should quit smearing their opponents and clean up their own act.
