Russian State Duma Lawmaker Denied Entry to Armenia

YEREVAN — First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Issues of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Contacts with Fellow Countryman, Konstantin Zatulin, has been banned to enter Armenia.

Head of the Foreign Relations Department at the National Assembly Staff Tigran Seiranian has sent a letter on behalf of the National Assembly leadership to Mr. Zatulin, which says that his latest public statements addressed to Armenia damage the development of friendly and allied relations between the two countries.

“Such letter has been sent to Konstantin Zatulin from the National Assembly”, Head of the National Assembly’s Public Relations and Communication Department Laura Antonyan told Armenpress.

Zatulin recently called for the Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation.

The National Security Service refused to answer the question on what grounds Zatulin has been banned to visit Armenia, stating that they cannot provide that information as it violates the privacy of that person’s personal life. “We can provide that information only to the person you mentioned or to the person authorized by the latter”, the NSS said.

Zatulin responded to the letter sent by the Armenian Parliament on his Telegram account, calling it an “insulting move”.

“It was unexpected for us, we received a letter from the head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Armenian National Assembly. We were told that my visit is undesirable, and that my statements damage the Republic of Armenia”, Zatulin said.