Russia sanctions LGBTQ activist, Freeland and Joly’s staff

Article content material

OTTAWA — Russia sanctioned a raft of Canadian public figures on Friday together with Maj.-Gen. Michael Wright, head of Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, and the pastor who officiated the primary homosexual marriages in Canada.

Article content material

Moscow’s newest spherical of sanctions goal a number of employees of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who has been an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and is of Ukrainian heritage.

Overseas Minister Melanie Joly’s media staff, Maeva Proteau and Adrien Blanchard, are additionally banned from coming into Russia.

Additionally on the Kremlin record are Ian Scott, head of broadcasting regulator the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Fee, which this yr banned the Russian state-owned broadcaster RT from Canada’s airwaves, and retired common Rick Hillier, former chief of the defence employees.

Russia has additionally sanctioned pastor Brent Hawkes, the LGBTQ activist who officiated Canada’s first authorized homosexual marriages, and Juno-award profitable singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk, who’s of Ukrainian and Indigenous heritage.

The Russian Overseas Affairs Ministry stated in an announcement it’s taking the steps in response to Canadian sanctions, together with these in opposition to Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, which the ministry stated was an insult to Orthodox believers world wide.

Hawkes stated it was “an honour to be included on an inventory of such brave Canadians.”

“I’m involved for the LGBTQ group in locations like Russia, Ukraine and Afghanistan,” he stated. “It reveals that we have now a number of work to do.”