[BRIEF NOTE] Nashi vs Schengen
Jan. 16th, 2008 12:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rfmcdonaldThe recent controversy over the decision to move the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn, a Soviet war memorial in the middle of the Estonian capital of Tallinn, wasn't helped by the presence of foreign activists who apparently played major roles in organizing the protests and precipitating the eventual riots by a minority of young Russophones. The Russian youth group Nashi, associated with the Putin government, was particularly prominent. As a consequence, many Nashi activists were blacklisted by the Estonian government, forbidden entry into Estonia because of these activities.
On the 20th of December, Estonia joined eight other European Union member-states in acceding to the Schengen Agreement. The Schengen zone is an territory associated with the European Union, consisting of those member-states and neighbours--more than two dozen countries at present, all home to in excess of four hundred million people--which have chosen to allow anyone from any other Schengen country to travel throughout the zone without a visa. The cost? A unified border control regime. After Estonia's accession, some Nashi activists have found that they have been barred from entry to the entire Schengen zone on the grounds that they post threats to Estonian security. Kommersant has more.
The Moscow Times reports that Goloskokov was sentenced to two months in jail.
On the 20th of December, Estonia joined eight other European Union member-states in acceding to the Schengen Agreement. The Schengen zone is an territory associated with the European Union, consisting of those member-states and neighbours--more than two dozen countries at present, all home to in excess of four hundred million people--which have chosen to allow anyone from any other Schengen country to travel throughout the zone without a visa. The cost? A unified border control regime. After Estonia's accession, some Nashi activists have found that they have been barred from entry to the entire Schengen zone on the grounds that they post threats to Estonian security. Kommersant has more.
Activists of pro-Kremlin Nashi movement of youth are picketing the Moscow office of European Commission, Echo Moskvy reported. The activists protest against refusal to grant Schengen visas to some of them “with no reasons given.”
The pro-Kremlin activists blame the refusal on Estonia that joined the Schengen zone early in 2008 and provided its lists of persona non grata to other member states. Some Nashis are in those lists, of course. They were added there for protesting against moving the Monument to Soviet Soldier from downtown Tallinn.
Mariana Skvortsova was refused Finnish visa January 8. Another activist, Konstantin Goloskokov is in a prison in Lithuania, facing the sentence of up to two years. Unable to get a visa to Estonia, Goloskokov attempted to reach Tallinn illegally, via the neighboring states, but was detained en route.
In the next move, Nashi said, they would launch “a campaign to restore the rights of dozens of young Russians,” who could fall victims to “the legal outrage” of united Europe.
The Moscow Times reports that Goloskokov was sentenced to two months in jail.
