A senior Russian regional official denied media reports Tuesday that he had filed a complaint to the Constitutional Court claiming that the food embargo implemented by Russian authorities last year was an infringement of his rights.
Gennady Tushnolobov, head of the Perm regional government, was reported by the Meduza website Tuesday to have submitted a complaint to the court saying that the ban on Western food imports violated his civil rights and his rights as an entrepreneur.
The complaint also allegedly said that the embargo contradicts international legislation, according to which everyone is entitled to certain living standards and free competition should be encouraged.
Tushnolobov, a member of the ruling United Russia party that has consistently supported the government over the food ban introduced in retaliation to Western sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis, told the Ekho Permi radio station on Tuesday that he had not sent the complaint and it must have been a practical joke.
The politician said he had received a message from the Constitutional Court saying that his complaint has been taken into consideration, but he said his signature on the document had been faked and a fake e-mail address listed.
Tushnolobov also claimed that the receipt for payment to submit the complaint showed it had been paid for while he was away on a business trip. He said the regional government would send a formal request to the Constitutional Court asking it to investigate the situation.