The following statement was issued by Mikhail Khodorkovsky on April 18, 2014:

Yesterday, restrictions were announced denying entry to Ukraine for “Russian males from 16 to 60 years of age.”

The desire to protect one’s country against mercenaries in the context of an undeclared war is understandable and lawful. However, in real life, this decision and controversial incidents at the border checkpoints that have been reported by eyewitnesses have scared dozens of thousands of ordinary people and are forcing them to change their personal, family plans.

This is not right, especially in anticipation of Easter.

I am appealing to the Ukrainian authorities asking them to address this newly-arisen problem.

I ask those who sympathize with Ukraine and its people to support my appeal.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky