Fired Prosecutor General To Become Ambassador to Switzerland

On August 3, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba signed a submission to President Volodymyr Zelensky for the appointment of former Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova as Ambassador of Ukraine to Switzerland.

The Minister of Foreign affairs supported this move saying, the practice of political appointments to diplomatic posts is common in all countries, as “an influx of fresh blood, fresh thoughts and views is needed.”

“It is absolutely normal to introduce people from the outside into the system, with the necessary competencies that will allow them to effectively perform the functions of an ambassador. I believe that Venediktova has these competencies. Her work with international partners in recent months showed that she can prove herself on the international track,” explained the minister.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the president has signed the decree. No decree has yet appeared on the official website of the President’s Administration.

Iryna Venediktova headed the parliamentary committee on legal policy as a deputy from “Servant of the People” and was the director of the State Bureau of Investigation (2019-2020). She was appointed Prosecutor General on March 17, 2020.

However, on July 19, 2022, the Verkhovna Rada voted to terminate Iryna Venediktova’s powers as Prosecutor General. The President signed a decree removing her from office on the same day.

Volodymyr Zelensky explained this decision by the fact that a large number of traitors had been uncovered among the employees of the prosecutor’s office and the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), who remained in the occupied territory and now work for Russia, and this inevitably raised questions concerning the head of the SSU and the Prosecutor General.

On the same day, July 19, the head of the “Servant of the People” faction, David Arakhamia, announced a number of personnel changes in the Security Service of Ukraine and other law enforcement agencies.

In a news telethon, Arakhamiya mentioned that Venediktova may soon be appointed to a diplomatic position: “We held a meeting with Iryna Venediktova. Everything went well. She was not against her resignation. It could be said that she resigned voluntarily, by mutual agreement. I can say that in a few days or a week we expect an appointment for her to a new diplomatic position.”