In Canada, a Russian woman was not allowed to enter the Russian embassy because she subscribed to a Facebook group

The Russian Embassy in Canada refused to accept the Russian Elena Pushkareva because of the “security threat to the foreign institution”. The reason was her subscription to the Facebook group “Forces of Good Ottawa and Winnipeg for the Beautiful Russia of the Future” and participation in political actions in Ottawa, Pushkareva told the publication “Novaya gazeta – rasskas”.

Pushkareva registered at the Russian Embassy on January 18, 2023. In the morning of that day, an unknown man called her and said that she had been refused consular services. Pushkareva still went to the consulate, but the door was not opened to her. According to her, the embassy staff referred to the oral order of Oleg Stepanov, the ambassador in Ottawa, and offered to contact the ambassador personally.

Pushkareva considers the refusal of Russian diplomats to provide services illegal and sent a letter to Stepanov with a request to give a motivated answer to her problem. There has been no response yet.

The consular department at the Russian embassy in Ottawa told the Novaya journalist that Pushkareva was denied access to the consular department, which the diplomats called a “regime institution.” The institution did not specify how a Russian citizen can receive the service without being in the building.

• The Facebook group “Forces of Good in Ottawa and Winnipeg for the Beautiful Russia of the Future” was created by Russian activists in Ottawa in January 2021 – after the return of politician Alexei Navalny to Russia from Germany, where he underwent treatment after poisoning with “Novichok” poison. Then the Russians began to attend coordinated rallies for the release of political prisoners.