Russian pop singer to turn to courts after being banned from Latvia amid Ukraine crisis

  • 2014-09-17
  • From wire reports, RIGA

Russian pop singer Joseph Kobzon (photo: LETA)

Russian pop singer Joseph Kobzon will turn to European courts after being blacklisted from entering Latvia.

Kobzon was banned from entering Latvia earlier this year over his pro Russia views amid the crisis in the Ukraine. The singer was planning to attend the highly popular New Wave festival in Jurmala before he was banned by Latvia's Foreign Ministry in July.

''I will turn to the European courts against the Latvian government for moral and material damages caused by the decision. I had pre-paid a hotel in Jurmala worth EUR 11,500 for my stay, but the hotel did not reimburse me,'' said Kobzon.

''They said that the decision was not dependent on them, and that it was made by the Latvian government. They recommended me to turn to the government with my complaint, which I intend to do,'' Kobzon said.

The ban which came in to effect in July also applied to fellow Russian singers Oleg Gazmanov and Alla Perfilova aka Valeriya.

Kobzon was temporarily blacklisted by Latvia in 2003 for posing 'threats against national security and public order."

Kobzon is also prohibited from entering the United States, Canada, Australia and a number of countries in Europe.

(Edited by Rayyan Sabet-Parry)