Solontai explained why he was detained in Moscow: Russia is building ‘the iron curtain’

Russia is the third country, which brought Alexandr Solontai to the list of undesirable to stay on their territory persons. Belarus did it in 2005 because of the fair of Orange Revolution activists enter to their territory, and later on in 2007 after the seminar in Kazakhstan.

Ukrainian political scientists Alexandr Solontai, who detained at the Moscow ‘Domodedovo’ airport with the scandal on June 3, believes that the Russian authorities are afraid of opposition, that is why they make persona non grata list with everyone who might somehow help in this.

This political scientist told in the ZN.UA зZN.UA interview. 

Solontai reminded that he, as the practical policy program manager of the Political Education Institute was going to hold a seminar for the opposition movement activists ‘Solidarnist’ in Moscow. The seminar was actually derailed with his detention.

‘I held such seminars in Russia for seven year – said the political scientist – and I have never had problems with this. Actually, there were some problems for the last two years – I was stopped at the checkpoints or airports for more extensive checks when crossing the Russian border, border guards called somewhere, tried to find out something but eventually the allowed me to enter the Russian territory.’

But this time, according to Solontai, the Russian Foreign Ministry Consul (which is in every large international airport) announced that the stay in Russia is banned for the political scientist because ‘it is related to the national security’.

The Russian border guards kept the political scientist in prison for 5 hours and allowed him to fly back in Kyiv only after the human rights defenders and Ukrainian Consul’s arrival.

‘The detention’s reason was not clearly explained to me, but I will find out it through the Ukrainian Consul and information requests to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Although, everything is clear for me already – the Russian authorities are afraid of opposition that is why they make persona non grata list with everyone who might somehow help in this. They are building the next ‘iron curtain’, – believes the political scientist.   

It should be noted that Russia is the third country, which brought Alexandr Solontai to the list of undesirable to stay on their territory persons. Belarus did it in 2005 because of the fair of Orange Revolution activists enter to their territory, and later on in 2007 after the seminar in Kazakhstan.