Poroshenko Proposes Bill To Ban Dual Citizenship In Ukraine
By RFE/RL
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has proposed a bill that would ban dual citizenship.
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, said on March 14 that the amendments to the law on citizenship proposed on March 13 were sent to the parliamentary Committee for Human Rights, Ethnic Minorities, and Interethnic Relations for discussion.
The bill was described as urgent.
Under the proposed amendments, Ukrainians would lose their citizenship if they "voluntarily" obtain citizenship in another country.
They also specify that anyone who obtained Ukrainian citizenship but did not return the passports of the countries of their previous citizenship would also lose Ukrainian citizenship.
The discussion of dual citizenship has come to the fore in Ukraine following unconfirmed media reports saying that suspended tax and customs service chief Roman Nasirov, who has been arrested on suspicion of corruption, holds foreign passports.
Ukrainian Police Arrest At Least 43 Activists Blockading Trade With East
Ukrainian police have arrested several dozen activists who were blocking trade with eastern areas held by pro-Russia separatists, officials and activists said late on March 13.
The blockade by nationalist Ukrainians and opposition lawmakers began in January and has mainly disrupted rail shipments of coal mined in the east that fuels electricity produced by western Ukraine's power plants.
Activists say the coal sales are funding the separatist's war against the government.
The Ukrainian SBU security service said that it arrested 43 activists during an operation in Toretsk, Shtshebryiovka, and Kudryumovka when they refused to surrender their weapons. Russian news agencies reported that 80 people were detained.
The activists decried the arrests on Facebook and staged a protest rally in central Kyiv attended by about 500 people.
"The police today dispersed the blockade. ... They severely beat and arrested people taking part," their posts said. Weapons and petrol bombs were also reported seized.
TASS reported that supporters of the blockade held violent protests in Vinnitsa, burning automobile tires and demanding the activists' release.
The blockade was unusual in being opposed both by separatists and the pro-Western government, as it disrupted industries on both sides and threatened to cause further power cuts.