The Russian singer Julia Samoylova has been banned from entering Ukraine, and thus has been banned from taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017!
Ukraine has banned Russia’s Julia Samoylova from entering Ukraine because she performed in Crimea, which annexed by Russia in 2014. The Ukrainian SBU security service has banned Julia from entering the country for a period of three years, and she is thus ineligible to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Olena Gitlianska, spokeswoman of SBU, publicised on Facebook their decision to ban Russia’s Eurovision contestant:
The Security Service of Ukraine has banned the citizen of the Russian Federation Yulia Samoylova from entering the country for a period of three years. This decision has been taken based on data received about breaking her legislation of Ukraine.
A Russian foreign ministry source told Ria-Novosti news agency the decision was “cynical and inhuman”. It also quoted a senior Russian politician, Frants Klintsevich, as saying Russia would boycott future Eurovision contests if the organizers failed to stand up for the singer.
The SBU has blacklisted at least 140 other Russian artists already back in October.
There are rumours going on that the Armenian entrant, Artsvik, is also under investigation, as she may have been to Crimea as well since the Russian annexation. Stay tuned for more information to come.
