(vip-booking) – Russian authorities have added Susana Jamaladinova, the Ukrainian singer who clinched the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest victory, to their wanted list, as per state news agencies’ reports on Monday.
The reports indicated that the Interior Ministry’s database flagged the singer for allegedly breaching a criminal law.
Mediazona, an independent news outlet focusing on opposition viewpoints and human rights, reported that Jamaladinova faces charges under a recent law prohibiting the dissemination of what’s deemed as wrong information about the Russian military and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Performing under the stage name Jamala, Jamaladinova, who hails from Crimean Tatar descent, claimed victory in the 2016 Eurovision contest with her song “1944,” a poignant reference to the year when the Soviet Union forcibly deported Crimean Tatars en masse.
Her triumphant act occurred almost precisely two years following Russia’s annexation of Crimea amid political upheaval in Ukraine. Most nations consider this annexation as unlawful.
Russia expressed strong objection to “1944” participating in the competition, arguing that it violated Eurovision`s rules against political expressions. However, the song itself did not explicitly criticize Russia or the Soviet Union, although it carried implicit connotations, notably opening with the lyrics, “When strangers are coming, they come to your house, they kill you all and say ‘We’re not guilty.’”
