Vereshchuk calls on residents of occupied territories to evacuate and not participate in "referendums": "Participation in this is article of Criminal Code"
Pseudo-referendums, which Russia plans to hold in the temporarily occupied territories, are a crime, participation in them is punishable by criminal liability; it is better for residents to evacuate or avoid participating in them by all possible methods.
Deputy Prime Minister - Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk stated this on the broadcast of the UArazom telethon, reports Censor.NЕТ with reference to Ukrinform.
"Referendums," whatever they (Russians - ed.) call them, are all elements of the crime that Russia is committing against our state. They are now in a closed phase with an open date. We understand this very well and we can see it. There are not and will not be any "referendums" on our land. And what they (Russia. - Ed.) call something there, bring someone from Russia, make some boxes, there is absolutely nothing similar to a referendum," the official said.
She stressed that the West will never recognize any pseudo-referendums of the Russian Federation.
"So it's all a farce and a circus. But for our citizens, who will take part in this, it is, in fact, an article of the Criminal Code. So once again I urge everyone who can to evacuate, and if it so happens that people are forced to stay in non-controlled territories," not to participate in any "referendums". No pressure, no violent inducement, etc. can then justify the fact that a person went to a 'referendum', took some 'ballots' and did something there," Vereshchuk stressed.
According to her, the percentage of residents of temporarily uncontrolled territories ready to participate in pseudo-referendums is tiny - "not even 2%."
The Deputy Prime Minister called on citizens to call the hotline at number 15-48 to receive help in evacuating to the controlled territory of Ukraine.
