The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) condemns the action taken by Russian governing authorities against Ukrainian citizen Viktor Hirzhov, banning him from entering the Russian Federation for five years.
On 14 October 2015 Russian border guards removed Ukrainian community activist and journalist Viktor Hirzhov from a train travelling to Moscow without explanation and prevented his entering into the Russian Federation where he has lived with his family for nearly 20 years.
On 20 October 2015 Director of the UWC Mission in Ukraine Serhiy Kasyanchuk and co-Chair of the Regional Community Organization “Ukrainians of Moscow” and Secretary of the Ukrainian Russian Congress Viktor Hirzhov met with representatives of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director-General of the Directorate General for Worldwide Ukrainians, Cultural and Humanitarian Cooperation Larysa Dir and Advisor to the Directorate General for Consular Service Volodymyr Kyryluk, to discuss further action in defense of the human rights of Ukrainians in Russia.
“The Ukrainian World Congress calls upon the international community to take action against this measure taken by the Russian Federation against a citizen of Ukraine which blatantly contravenes the democratic principles of today’s civilized world,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
