Canada’s immigration minister says a Russian anti-war activist will eventually be able to obtain Canadian citizenship despite being removed from a previous ceremony following a conviction in Russia.
Maria Kartasheva, 30, has lived in Ottawa since 2019. She was convicted under a Russian law passed shortly after the invasion of Ukraine that prohibits “deliberately disseminating to the public false information regarding the use of the Russian Federation’s armed forces.”
Her conviction stems from two blog entries posted in March 2022, in which she posted a photo and wrote in Russian expressing horror. Bucha massacre. Russia’s foreign minister denied allegations of atrocities in Bucha.
Under Canada’s immigration rules, if an applicant is charged in another country with an offense that can be prosecuted under Canadian criminal law, the application may be canceled or refused.
A December letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said the crimes she committed in Russia “constitute false information under section 372(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada.”
That interpretation led to her being removed from the citizenship ceremony in May. It was also criticized by Canadian lawyers and professors who argued that the law’s real purpose was to silence dissenting voices.
On Tuesday afternoon, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Mark Miller said in a social media post that Kartasheva “is not subject to deportation and is invited to become a Canadian citizen.”
“Canada’s citizenship rules are designed to catch criminals, not to suppress or punish legitimate political dissent,” they wrote. Posted by X from his account.
This will continue in the future.
