Russia puts Ukrainian winner of Eurovision Song Contest on wanted list

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Russia has added Ukrainian singer Susana Jamaladinova, also known as Jamala and the winner of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, to its list of individuals wanted by law enforcement, as reported by state news agencies on Monday.

According to reports, the Russian Interior Ministry’s database includes Jamaladinova as a person sought for allegedly violating a criminal law. This action appears to be related to her being charged under a law enacted the previous year, which prohibits the dissemination of what is referred to as “fake information” regarding the Russian military and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Jamaladinova’s background is of Crimean Tatar origin, and her 2016 Eurovision victory was achieved with the song “1944,” a title that signifies the year when the Soviet Union forcibly deported Crimean Tatars in large numbers. It is worth noting that her triumphant performance coincided closely with the second anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, a move that remains widely regarded as illegitimate by most other nations.

Russia expressed its objections to the inclusion of “1944” in the Eurovision competition, contending that it violated the competition’s regulations against political expressions. However, it’s important to mention that the song itself did not directly criticize Russia or the Soviet Union. Still, it contained implicit references, beginning with the lyrics “When strangers are coming, they come to your house, they kill you all and say ‘We’re not guilty.'”

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More about Jamala Eurovision wanted list

• Russia puts Ukrainian Eurovision winner Jamala on wanted list (Reuters)
• Jamala: Eurovision’s Ukrainian winner added to Russia’s wanted list (BBC News)
• Jamala’s Eurovision performance and the controversy (Euronews)
• Russia’s annexation of Crimea (Council on Foreign Relations)
• Freedom of expression concerns (Human Rights Watch)