PFVMH and Spravedlyvist demand granting Ukrainian citizenship to Olga Simonova and making those who protracted the issue accountable. Ombudswoman Lutkovska supports the demand with official appeal
The Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital and the Spravedlyvist movement demand that former PFVMH paramedic Olga Simonova from Russia be admitted to Ukrainian citizenship as soon as possible. This demand was voiced by PFVMH President Gennadiy Druzenko and Spravedlyvist leader Valentyn Nalyvaychenko at their joint news conference today in the Gorshenin Institute.
The speakers noted that President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko even did not take into account the fact that during the last three years Olga Simonova has participated in PFVMH initiatives in Donbas and signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine; and now she is doing her service in the areas of Anti-Terrorist Operation.
“In July, state-decorated volunteers of the PFVMH publicly addressed the President of Ukraine, asking him to grant Ukrainian citizenship to Olga,” Druzenko reported. “In August, the chief of the Health Ministry, Ulana Suprun, signed an official motion to the Head of State for admitting Olga to Ukrainian citizenship. Olga collected all the necessary documents, including a certificate of non-conviction issued by competent bodies of the Russian Federation. The Interpol, Security Service of Ukraine and State Border Service all confirmed that they didn’t see any obstacles to granting Ukrainian citizenship to Olga. But only this January did the whole package of documents get to Bankova St. [Presidential Administration], from where it was soon returned to the State Migration Service without consideration of the substance.”
According to Druzenko, the Presidential Administration argues the rejection by was due to alleged unconformity of the motion to Form 21, whereas the conclusion of the Security Service allegedly contains inaccurate information on Olga’s personal data. “We have rewritten the motion, literally copying all the words and punctuation marks in Form 21,” said Druzenko, who is also a pro bono advisor to acting Health Minister Ulana Suprun.
He also reported that the initiative has been supported by Ombudswoman Valeria Lutkovska, who earlier that day published her open appeal to the President, urging him to consider the issue of Simonova and admit her to Ukrainian citizenship.
Valentyn Nalyvaychenko stressed that civil society also demanded granting Ukrainian citizenship to Simonova. He mentioned a petition on the matter, which was registered on the Anticorruption Movement site last summer and collected thousands of signatures and commending comments in social media within a few days.
