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Russian lawmakers looking at banning entry for those who harass Russian-speakers

According to Volodin, the State Duma Council on Monday decided to ask the Kyrgyz parliament speaker to take the situation under personal control

MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/. The Russian State Duma, or lower parliament house, comes out with an initiative to ban entry to Russia for those indulging in the harassment of Russian speakers, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on Monday following an attack on a salesgirl in Kyrgyzstan for speaking Russian with a client.

"Lawmakers suggest response measures be looked at, including a possible ban to enter Russia for those who indulge in such actions against Russian-speakers," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to Volodin, the State Duma Council on Monday decided to ask the Kyrgyz parliament speaker to take the situation under personal control.

"This is not the first such inadmissible case, bearing in mind the fact that the Russian language enjoys the official status in Kyrgyzstan and it is committed to paper in the country’s constitution," he added.

The international cooperation commission of the Russian presidential council for the development of civil society and human rights earlier called for stronger measures to protect Russian-speakers in Kyrgyzstan. The commission expressed serious concern over the attack on the salesgirl in Bishkek and the case of a boy from a Russian family "who was bullied and beaten at a sports camp for his ethnicity and Orthodox faith.".

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