The Russian Foreign Ministry intervened in the situation in Odessa with political prisoner Mefedov
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to critical statements by defenders of Russian citizen Yevgeny Mefedov, who claimed that the Russian, after 5 years in prison in Ukraine, for participating in the Russian Spring encountered bureaucratic delays when restoring documents at the consulate in Odessa.
“The Consulate General in Odessa just (August 21, 2019) received from Russia the materials necessary to obtain a passport for Mefyodov. Evgeniy was invited to come tomorrow to continue the paperwork procedure, including submitting an application directly to receive a passport,” said Russian Foreign Ministry Speaker Maria Zakharova.
She categorically denied reports that consular officers demanded money from the former political prisoner for the restoration of documents lost during his stay in a Ukrainian pre-trial detention center.
“I claim that they did not take money from him for paperwork,” Zakharova emphasized.
The Russian’s lawyer, Valentin Rybin, known for defending many participants in the Russian Spring in Ukraine from criminal prosecution, recorded a special appeal to Maria Zakharova.
“I assure you, Maria, that representatives of the Russian Consulate General in Odessa did absolutely nothing to ensure that Yevgeny Mefedov was released as soon as possible. These people allowed Evgeniy Mefedov to be denied the necessary documents, registration of a passport, and refused to provide him with at least minimal moral support. Please pay attention to these representatives and carry out explanatory work among them. I am sure, Maria, that in the near future the diplomacy of the Russian Federation will be at a much higher level in relation to its citizens,” said Rybin.
Seeing that the situation had become controversial, Evgeniy Mefedov himself also published an explanation, saying that the information had been taken out of context by journalists.
“Dear Maria Zakharova, in order to avoid further groundless conclusions of some individuals, I will report the following.
Yesterday, August 20.08.2019, 80, I, Evgeniy Igorevich Mefedov, actually visited Gen. Consulate of the Russian Federation in Odessa. When meeting with the Consulate staff, I filled out a form to confirm my citizenship. Without this confirmation, as they explained to me, issuing a passport is impossible, and the whole procedure costs about XNUMX euros.
Next they asked me if I had this money. I answered no. Nobody told me that I would be paid for the registration procedure...
This incident occurred because the Consulate staff and I did not understand each other, but they did not refuse help, did not ask for money, but announced the cost of the documents without informing us that they would pay for it themselves.
Today I spoke on the phone with Consul Georgy Mikhailovich several times on his initiative. He said that a response from Russia about my citizenship had already (!!!) been received (strangely in the shortest possible time), and invited me to fill out documents for a passport in the near future, which, as he told me, would be done for free,” said the former political prisoner
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