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HELSINKI, Apr 7 Artists of the Russian theater «NitYa» were deported from Estonia because they posed a «threat to national security,» the Delfi portal reported.
According to Alexander Melnik, the organizer of the tour of the Nitya theater in Europe, on the evening of April 5, the theater artists were taken to the police station and then deported to Russia with a ban on entering the Schengen zone for 3 years.
«Over the past 24 hours, we have received messages from cultural centers about the termination of rental agreements, despite the sold-out halls. At night, artists were deported from Estonia, considering their activities as a threat to national security. Neither the Ministry of Culture nor the Ministry of the Interior contacted me,» Melnik told the Delfi portal.
«NitYa» is a non-state self-financed theatre. There is no fixed stage of its own, the theater constantly tours the cities of Russia and Europe. Since the founders of the theater are from Yekaterinburg, this city is indicated as a geographical location.
Head of the Migration Supervision Service of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Department Rainis Sinikas confirmed that on Wednesday evening the police detained three members of the Nitya theater troupe with Russian citizenship.
«The police found out that the men used short-term Italian visas issued for the purpose of tourism to enter the Schengen zone. leave the country. We took the men to the Narva border checkpoint and sent them to Russia,» Sinikas told Delfi.