Lubov Kazarnovskaya declared persona non grata

Comment of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia, Polad Bulbuloglu

"The media has disseminated information that the famous opera singer Lubov Kazarnovskaya has illegally visited the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. As a result, she was included on the list of persons who have violated the 'Law on the State Border', which denies entry to Azerbaijan.

In this regard, I would say that the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan has repeatedly informed all foreign nationals wishing to visit Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan, which, due to the ongoing occupation, any visit to the aforementioned territories recognized by the international community as a part of Azerbaijan, without the consent of the lawful authorities of the Republic, is an act of non-recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, in violation of national laws and the fundamental norms and principles of international law.

The Azerbaijani side has repeatedly stated that individuals who illegally visit the occupied territories will be denied entry to the Azerbaijan Republic.

I believe that Ms. Kazarnovskaya, being a citizen of the Russian Federation, should have paid attention to the warning posted on the portal of the Russian Foreign Ministry consular information service, which warns against such visits.

It is clear that representatives of the creative professions receive financial reward for their activities. Obviously, Ms. Kazarnovsky had some personal incentives for her visit.

However, this fact cannot remove her responsibility for violating a law that is of a universal and compulsory character, whether it is an ordinary man in the street, a journalist, a doctor, a teacher, an athlete, a stage or television personality.

Treating with great respect the work of Lubov Kazarnovskaya, I would like to recall that the fact of her visit to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and her subsequent statements to the media, where she has acted as an advocate of the illegal regime established in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan by armed aggression, ethnic cleansing, killings of the peaceful population, and the devastation and destruction of the rich Azerbaijani culture, including the musical heritage of the Karabakh.

It is also clear that by her statements she has willingly or unwillingly served the illicit propaganda of visits to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. At the same time, it was not mentioned that the occupied territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan is a zone of armed conflict: the cases of intense almost daily shootings, conducted sniper fire, there are cases of explosions of mines, which lead to victims. All these factors cause the impossibility of conducting propaganda of visiting areas of such serious risks, and ignoring them out of respect for the opinion of Lubov Kazarnovskaya by a wider audience can lead to fatal danger.

In conclusion, I regret to state that Ms. Kazarnovskaya, having carried out this visit, is responsible for quite a reasonable response from the Azerbaijani side in the form of including her on the 'blacklist' of undesirable persons. However, I would like once again to warn citizens of Russia from repeating such mistakes, which can cause both legal and, given the above, fatal consequences."