Support The Moscow Times!

Onishchenko Stands Up for His South Ossetian Passport

Gennady Onishchenko, Russia's chief sanitary inspector, defended his decision to accept citizenship in another country Thursday, although he admitted that it was against Russian law for government officials to have double nationality.

Onishchenko was presented with a South Ossetian passport on Wednesday during a meeting with Eduard Kokoity, the leader of the breakaway Georgian region.

According to the passport, Onishchenko is registered in a private home in the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, Kokoity said, Interfax reported.

"It's true that our laws say a government official has no right to have double citizenship," Onishchenko told journalists Thursday.

"But I was given this. I didn't write a request for double citizenship," he said. "I consider it a symbol of recognition of my very modest accomplishments."

A 2006 federal law that was signed by then-President Vladimir Putin restricts foreign nationals from holding government posts.

The law mentions the federal and regional parliaments, the Security Council and the Audit Chamber, without specifically listing the Federal Consumer Protection Service, which Onishchenko heads.

After the Georgian-Russian conflict in South Ossetia last August, Onishchenko went to Tskhinvali with Russian sanitary inspectors to test local water quality and epidemiological conditions.

No country except Russia and Nicaragua recognizes South Ossetia as an independent country with valid passports.

Most South Ossetian residents have Russian passports.

"I am very proud," Onishchenko said of his new passport Thursday.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more