The Prosecutor General’s Office has responded to a complaint filed by Vitaly Milonov, a member of St. Petersburg legislature, regarding the concerts by Madonna and Lady Gaga. The humanitarian visas issued to the performers, were used for commercial activities, which is against the law. The supervisory authority is considering options to notify the Foreign Ministry and the Federal Migration Service.
The Prosecutor General’s Office has responded to a complaint filed by Vitaly Milonov, the Chairman of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly Legislation Committee, regarding a possible violation by singers Madonna and Lady Gaga of the immigration law of the Russian Federation.
In response to Milonov’s complaint the supervisory authority has stated that “the factual circumstances of the singers presence in Russia suggest that the standard humanitarian visas issued to them were used in order to perform commercial activities, such as concerts, not permissible under such type of visa,” the legislator’s office reports.
The first deputy Minister of Culture Vladimir Aristarkhov instructed his department heads to require foreign citizens to state the purpose of the visit while applying for assistance in getting a visa, otherwise the visa should be denied, according to the information provided to Milonov by the Prosecutor General’s office.
At the moment, the Prosecutor General’s Office is considering options to notify the Foreign Ministry and the Federal Migration Service of the violations to prevent such situations in the future, and to make sure the violators are held responsible, said the legislator’s press-office.
Milonov sent his letter requesting an investigation in April. According to him, the visa issued to Louisa Ciccone (Madonna) was provided for participation in non-profit activities and did not permit to engage in activities for profit.
“The actions of the organizers of Ciccone’s concerts may contain material elements of administrative offence under Article 18.9, Part 6, of the Administrative Code, namely deliberate misrepresentations by the inviting party regarding the purpose of the stay of a foreign citizen in Russia in the process of entry documents processing,” according to the city legislator.
Earlier, Elena Dunaeva, the head of the Federal Migration Service Department for the City of St. Petersburg, said that Madonna had not violated immigration laws during her stay in Russia in the summer of 2012. According to Dunaeva, a “cultural exchange” visa, issued to the singer, allows artists to perform.
Milonov, the author of the controversial law banning propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia among minors. The document came into force in the spring of 2012 in St. Petersburg. The law provides for fines of up to 50 thousand roubles for individuals and up to 500 thousand roubles for legal entities. Using this law Milonov tried to prosecute Rammstein, a German rock band, Madonna and Lady Gaga, who performed live in St. Petersburg.