On Monday, the 13th of November, the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior announced having ordered the Migration Department to commence the procedure for depriving the Russian ballet dancer Ilze Liepa of her Lithuanian citizenship granted for special merits.
It should be mentioned that Ilze Liepa is the daughter of famous Latvian ballet dancer Māris Liepa*.
She has voiced support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Ilze Liepa’s public comments are considered discrediting to the state of Lithuania,” notes the country’s Ministry of the Interior. It was previously reported that the Migration Department asked institutions to look into Liepa’s comments about the war in Ukraine and Putin.
According to the Citizenship Law, a person can lose his or her Lithuanian citizenship acquired through exceptional circumstances if he or she publicly voices support to a country that threatens the security interests of Lithuania, another member state of the European Union or their allies.
In accordance with this section of the law, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has recently revoked the Lithuanian citizenship from Russian figure skater Margarita Drobyazko for her participation in a show organised by Putin’s press-secretary Dmitry Peskov’s wise, figure skater Tatyana Navka in Sochi.
As for Liepa’s case, Nauseda is currently waiting for documents from the Ministry of the Interior and Citizenship Commission’s conclusions, as confirmed by the Lithuanian President’s Office. On Monday Nauseda asked the Ministry of the Interior to check if some 800 persons who where previously granted Lithuanian citizenship under exceptional circumstances and who are also citizens of other countries have violated the citizenship law. The ministry reported having asked the State Security Department to perform this check.
Lithuanian public television reported that, in her interview to “Russian propaganda YouTube channel” Empatija Manuči (Эмпатия Манучи), Liepa condemned the actions of Baltic States and voiced support for “Putin’s war in Ukraine”. The ballet dancer said in her interview that she has not doubts about Putin’s words.
“I have no doubts about what our president says. Even though from the other side we hear talk of us having been fooled and that the Kremlin has brainwashed us. But there is such a thing as every person’s own choice. I believe that only now all of us can finally see clearly that
this is […] a confrontation against our deepest values.
Unfortunately, Ukraine has become the price […], but we have no other choice,” said Liepa, commenting as to why she supports the “special military operation” in Ukraine.
“I am very ashamed of them [Baltic States] and very sad. […] We all understand very well that, unfortunately the nation has become hostages in the hands of a small number of people. We are very lucky to have such a leader as Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, who serves his homeland and is dedicated to his duties,” said Liepa, when asked about the destruction of Soviet monuments and restriction of Russian culture in Baltic States.
*Māris Liepa was born in Latvia, but in the Soviet Era he maintained his career mainly in Moscow. Ilze Liepa, who is the daughter of Māris Liepa and his wife Margarita Zhigunova, is a citizen of Russia.
In 2000 she was granted Lithuanian citizenship for her continued cooperation with Lithuanian ballet dancer Petras Skirmantas.
Also read: Former Latvian Saeima deputy sentenced to prison for spying in Russia’s favour
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