Writers Ulitskaya, Sorokin and Erofeev rejected accusations of financing the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Russian writers Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Vladimir Sorokin and Viktor Erofeev in a joint statement rejected accusations of financial support for the Ukrainian armed forces and promotion of terrorism. Earlier, members of the public movement “Call of the People” appealed to the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation with a request to check the writers, because the money raised for their autographs is allegedly sent to help the Ukrainian army. The text of the statement is available RBC and newspapers “Companion”.

The writers’ appeal states that on October 18 they presented in Berlin an almanac of prose and poetry in Russian “Slovo Novo. Exit”. They presented one of the signed copies to gallery owner Marat Gelman (recognized as a foreign agent). Subsequently, Mr. Gelman sold the book at an auction in Vilnius, which was organized in support of the paramilitary association of the Armed Forces of Ukraine “Russian Freedom Legion” (recognized as terrorist and banned in the Russian Federation), the authors said in a statement.

“After this, we, who signed this book, were accused by the Russian media of supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the Call of the People organization submitted an application to the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation with a request to check us for promoting terrorism. We consider such accusations absurd and declare that we have never supported or financed any military organizations, military units or armies,” the statement says. The writers emphasized that the book given to Marat Gelman is his property and he has the right to dispose of it himself.

November 20 edition “Paragraph” published an appeal from the “Call of the People” movement to the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor General’s Office. Representative of the “Call of the People” Sergei Zaitsev told the publication that Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Vladimir Sorokin and Viktor Erofeev should be added to the list of sponsors of terrorism and their access to any income in Russia should be blocked.

For more information about what happens after the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine, see online broadcasts “Ъ”.

Erdni Kagaltynov