Kyiv: Russian MP Poklonskaya maintains her Ukrainian citizenship
State Duma deputy and former prosecutor of the Crimea, Natalia Poklonskaya, retains Ukrainian citizenship and the migration service has no information indicating that her passport was revoked, as reported by the Verkhovna Rada Deputy Serhiy Leshchenko, on NewsOne TV.
According to Leshchenko, he sent a request regarding the status of Poklonskaya’s citizenship to the State Migration Service of Ukraine. The State Migration Service responded that Poklonskaya was not deprived of citizenship, as there is no reason." At the moment, State Migration Service has no documented information on the basis of which to raise the issue of the loss of Poklonskaya’s Ukrainian citizenship," the Deputy stated, quoting the migration service's response. At the same time, he noted that Poklonskaya could not have become a Deputy of the Russian parliament with Ukrainian citizenship. "And still they [the State Migration Service of the Ukraine] do not have data that she violated Ukrainian citizenship laws," he stressed.
In October, information about Poklonskaya’s Ukrainian citizenship was confirmed by the Presidential administration of Ukraine. According to Ukrainian legislation, it is the President who decides on the deprivation of citizenship on the basis of an appeal by the migration or diplomatic bodies.
Commenting on reports that she retains Ukrainian citizenship, Poklonskaya previously stated that the order that revoked her citizenship was signed by Viktor Yanukovych on March 21st. At the time, Yanukovych was in Rostov-on-Don and had been removed from power by the Verkhovna Rada. However, Poklonskaya herself maintains that at that time Yanukovych was still a legitimate president.
Natalia Poklonskaya became a State Duma deputy in 2016. According to Russian legislation, a person with dual citizenship cannot be elected to parliament.