71-year-old director Alexander Sokurov turned to the Human Rights Council because he was not allowed to leave Russia for Finland: he tried to cross the border by car in order to fly from there to an international cultural conference in Milan. The director's letter to the HRC is available to The Insider.
According to Sokurov, by agreement with the Italian and Finnish sides, he was supposed to proceed from St. Petersburg across the border to Helsinki, and from there fly to Milan. On June 22, his speech on the problems of humanitarian art education was to take place there.
“At the border in Russia, all these plans were decisively and actively suppressed. The border guards confiscated our passports and fled somewhere. For several hours we could not understand what was happening, where our documents were, why we were not getting permission to cross the border. At the same time, hundreds of cars were moving around us, whole buses with Russian children, citizens who could pass, and we, like those under arrest, had to sit in anticipation of arrest, or what?
When it became clear that the director was no longer in time for the plane, he was told that he would not be able to leave for Finland on the basis of the order of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin:
“Later, by phone, I learned from the employees of the Milan conference that they somehow miraculously found the phone number of this frontier post, called there, but no one at the frontier post could speak English and the border guards did not understand what foreigners want from them, FSB officers. The Italians found a Russian translator, and then they heard that our passports were “stamped” and we supposedly could go ... But they just didn’t clarify where exactly my colleague and I could go ....”
As a result, Sokurov was forced to return back to St. Petersburg.
Recall that formally Russia has not yet lifted anti-COVID restrictions on crossing land borders. It is possible to leave Russia by motor transport, including scheduled buses, according to the order of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 763-r, only if there are good reasons - a residence permit, dual citizenship or close family ties. If a Russian is planning a business trip or a trip to Finland for treatment, then all these grounds must be confirmed at the border.
Finland removes anti-COVID entry restrictions on June 30, from this date it resumes receiving tourists from third countries, including from Russia. Travelers will need a passport and a Schengen visa.
