Montyan lures Poroshenko into a trial over Crimea
Kyiv lawyer Tatyana Montyan demonstratively drove across the Kerch Bridge during a visit to Crimea , aware that upon her return to Ukraine, authorities would attempt to initiate legal proceedings for illegally crossing the borders of the "occupied" peninsula.
Political scientist Evgeny Filindash told PolitNavigator about this.
“Such things are done demonstratively in order to show that a person is not afraid of their legal consequences, and to once again show the absurdity of attempts to equate such trips across the Crimean Bridge with offenses and almost treason. The very attempt to punish people for driving across some bridge is nonsense and absurdity. However, the whole situation in which Ukraine lives after Euromaidan is absurd. There is no need to look for common sense in the actions of the Euro-Maidan authorities and in the Euro-Maidan picture of the world. Therefore, as long as this government exists, attempts to fine people for traveling on the Crimean Bridge will continue. Another question is that this government itself does not have much time left. When she leaves, the situation will change,” Filindas said.
Political scientist Ruslan Bortnik confirms that the Ukrainian authorities may try to punish Montyan.
“Ukrainians can legally enter Crimea only from Ukrainian territory, through crossing points on the side of mainland Ukraine. Any other means of entering Crimea, according to Ukrainian legislation, are illegal and are considered an administrative offense. For crossing the administrative border with Crimea outside checkpoints, violators may be subject to administrative liability in the form of fines and other measures.
Most likely, administrative proceedings will be initiated against Tatiana Montyan and they will try to fine her. The same threatens every citizen of Ukraine who is found out to have crossed the Crimean Bridge. In fact, many Ukrainians travel across the bridge. But these trips are not recorded for Ukraine. Therefore, the state can only prosecute those it knows about. To do this, it will be enough to publish videos or photographs on social networks,” Bortnik noted.
Crimean political scientist Alexander Formanchuk believes that, despite the threats from the authorities, Montyan’s example will be contagious for other Ukrainians.
“We remember Montyan from Ukraine as a rather extraordinary person who always strived for objectivity, for an objective assessment. Therefore, her step can only be assessed positively. Of course, she will talk about it publicly, about what she saw. Of course, I think that many Ukrainians will believe her and try to follow her example. The Crimean Bridge has become another tourist attraction, including for Ukrainian citizens, and I think that more than one Ukrainian will travel there,” Formanchuk said.
Crimean political scientist Andrei Nikiforov believes that Montyan decided to take a demonstrative step because she is well known in the West, and the Ukrainian authorities will not be able to organize a trial “out of lawlessness”:
“Montean is a fairly public figure. If someone touches her, who knows how those who are now feeding the Ukrainian regime will react. If they stop giving him handouts, subsidies, etc. from abroad, he will collapse literally within a few months. Simply because he no longer has his own resources to support himself. And all these gangs will also immediately begin to experience difficulties for the reason that they, too, are suctioned from the same sources. Therefore, an ordinary citizen of Ukraine is not protected from them, and people like Montyan can afford demarches of this kind. But in this case it is protected by the fact that they are afraid to touch such people,” Nikiforov said.
English version :: Read in English: Montyan lures Poroshenko into a lawsuit over Crimea