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Russia FM indignant at discrimination against singer with eye impairments getting US visa

MOSCOW, March 26, /ITAR-TASS/. There is indignation in the Russian Foreign Ministry at discrimination singer Diana Gurtskaya faced when wishing to receive a US visa, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law Konstantin Dolgov stated on Wednesday.

“It was with indignation that we learned about difficulties prominent Russian singer Diana Gurtskaya experienced wishing to receive an entrance visa to the US,” Dolgov said.

“As far as we understand, the consular representatives of the United States in Russia under a formal pretext deny a visa to Gurtskaya insisting that she should remove her glasses to be photographed. Gurtskaya constantly wears glasses because of eye impairments,” he said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry holds that “security requirements should certainly be observed, but their enforcement should not be insulting and defying common sense.”

“Discrimination against persons with health impairments is absolutely impermissible,” Dolgov said. “We will press on the US side so that lawful rights and interests of Diana Gurtskaya as a Russian citizen be observed,” Dolgov stressed.

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