KIEV, November 6. /TASS/. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko has written a resignation letter and intends to hand it to the country’s President Pyotr Poroshenko in the near future, as he himself said, addressing the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) on Tuesday.

"We live in a distorted information space… The fight for control over broadcasting activities is everything. Today, I will hand my resignation letter to the President of Ukraine so that it is clear no one clings to power here. You will have to consider this issue and I request you do it this week," Lutsenko said, addressing lawmakers.

According to the prosecutor general, he is reluctant to tolerate interference in the activities of law enforcement agencies, as well as allegations of inaction, particularly concerning the murder of civil activist Yekaterina Gandzyuk. "They are not blaming those who killed Gandzyuk and have been arrested by the National Police, but those who are unwilling to accuse the one the authorities want to be accused. This is all a fight for power," Lutsenko said

Criticism of law enforcement agencies

Ukraine’s law enforcement agencies have been subject to criticism on numerous occasions over delays in investigations of civil activists’ murders and attacks on them. The death of Yekaterina Gandzyuk became the last straw. The woman, known for her investigations into police and political corruption, was doused with sulphuric acid in her home city of Kherson in late July. The attack burned about 40% of her body, she underwent a number of surgeries but eventually died on November 4.

On Monday, members of a Ukrainian human rights organization called the Coalition for the Protection of Civil Society demanded that Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko and senior officials from the Kherson Police be dismissed. According to the organization, as least 100 attacks on civil activists have taken place in Ukraine since 2014, but investigative activities have been ineffective. The organization called for an effective investigation into Gandzyuk’s murder and crimes against other activists.

Human rights defenders also demanded that parliamentary factions’ heads implement Article 89 of the Ukrainian Constitution and immediately set up a temporary investigation commission to look into attacks on civil activists, journalists and politicians that occurred in various parts of the country in the past two years.