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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 01:53

Russia includes Judins, Maizitis and Hermanis on persona non grata list

BC, Riga, 03.10.2014.Print version
Russia has included Latvian MP Andrejs Judins (Unity), Constitutional Protection Bureau chief Janis Maizitis, and theater director Alvis Hermanis on its persona non grata list, according to information obtained by LETA.

The Foreign Ministry's spokesman Karlis Eihenbaums refrained from specifying exactly which Latvian citizens have been included on Russia's persona non grata list. However, he expressed regret at such a decision, as there is no logical reasoning why these persons have been specifically banned from entering Russia.

 

''Obviously, Russia is up to its usual ''eye for an eye'' behavior. We do not see such an approach as neither sensible nor constructive,'' Eihenbaums pointed out, adding that these persons have already been notified about Russia's decision.


As LETA was confirmed by Constitutional Protection Bureau spokeswoman Iveta Maura, Maizits has been informed of this decision, but this matter will in no way prevent him from fulfilling his duties as the head of the Constitutional Protection Bureau.


During the past years, Maizitis has pointed out to the many threats Russia poses to Latvia's security in the bureau's annual reports.


Meanwhile, Hermanis told LETA that he does not have information that he has been included on Russia's persona non grata list. He said that he has not been in Russia for four years, and he has not intention of ever going there again. Thus, he is not especially interested whether he is banned from entering Russia or not.


This past March, in wake of Russia's aggression towards Ukraine, the internationally recognized theater director cancelled his participation in a Moscow Bolshoi Theater production, and pointed out at the time that Russia has become ''a sickness of the whole international community''.


Hermanis has produced several theater performance in Russia during his career, and has even been awarded several Russian theater awards.


Furthermore, Andrejs Judins, who is an ethnic Russian himself, was one of the initiators of the amendments to the Criminal Law, which Saeima passed this past spring and makes gross derogation of genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace or war crimes against Latvia perpetrated by the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany a criminal offense.






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