2021-04-20T19:45:00+03:00 Politics 2024-09-15T08:52:28+03:00

Ukrainian news

Zelenskyy Cancels Citizenship Of Alperin And Yerimichuk Following Imposition Of Sanctions On Them For Smugglin

Zelenskyy Cancels Citizenship Of Alperin And Yerimichuk Following Imposition Of Sanctions On Them For Smuggling

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has terminated the Ukrainian citizenship of Vadym Alperin and Oleksandr Yerimichuk, on whom the National Security and Defense Council has imposed sanctions for smuggling, as well as businessman Araik Amirkhanyan.

An informed source confirmed the authenticity of the relevant presidential decree leaked to the mass media.

"Such a document was signed by the head of state," he said.

According to him, the decree was signed on April 14.

According to the document, the legal basis for the termination of the citizenship of Alperin, Yerimichuk, and Amirkhanyan, is their voluntary acquisition of the citizenships of other countries.

There are no plans to publish the decree officially because presidential acts concerning issues of citizenship are not made public.

"The next steps should be determined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Migration Service," the source said.

Specifically, he was talking about the possibility of their expulsion from Ukraine.

The National Security and Defense Council imposed sanctions on 10 Ukrainians on April 2 for organizing and participating in smuggling and Zelenskyy issued a decree enacting the council’s decision on April 3.

The sanctions were imposed on Alperin and Yerimichuk for three years.

Cancelation of citizenship is not among them.

Alperin's identification information indicates that he has Israeli citizenship.

Information about Yerimichuk’s foreign citizenship is unavailable.

Amirkhanyan is not named in the National Security and Defense Council’s decision.

It is known that he was suspected of financing violent overthrow of the government, blocking 200 tenders for repair of roads, and organizing a mechanism for illegal transfer of people across Ukraine’s border to Russia through the Russian-annexed Crimea.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the National Security and Defense Council imposed sanctions on 12 more smugglers on April 15.

Zelenskyy has not yet signed the relevant presidential decree.

The Security Service of Ukraine detained Amirkhanyan in June 2019 on suspicion of financing violent overthrow of the government and blocking more than 200 tenders for road repairs.