Lawmakers argue that Lyudmila Narusova’s reported trips to Western Europe amid the military operation in Ukraine discredited her as a senator
Russian Senator Lyudmila Narusova is set to be issued with a “strict warning” from the country’s Federal Assembly after she reportedly traveled to several NATO member states in the summer. The lawmaker has refused to comment on the claims.
The head of the Russian upper house of parliament’s Rules Committee, Vyacheslav Timchenko, announced the measures in an interview with RIA Novosti, noting that Narusova’s role as senator for the Republic of Tyva means she has access to classified intelligence.
He added that the lawmaker will be issued with a formal warning about the “inadmissibility” of traveling abroad, especially to NATO countries, without the consent of parliamentary leadership during the Russian operation against Ukraine.
A source also told TASS that the Federation Council Committee will explain to Narusova that trips to NATO countries in the current circumstances are “unacceptable and discredit both the senator and the chamber as a whole.”
The same source also stressed that the committee found it impermissible that the senator would visit a country “that is factually waging a war against Russia,” and that after supposedly being found out, Narusova “is not even trying to explain anything to citizens or to the residents of her region.”
Timchenko claimed in his interview with RIA Novosti that Narusova had flown to Istanbul in Türkiye on July 19, and from there had traveled to Nice in the South of France. In August, she was also seen in a video posted by her daughter – journalist and former presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak – who claimed they were in Marbella, Spain. The senator has denied the latter allegations, insisting she was in St. Petersburg at the time.
According to Timchenko, Narusova returned to Russia only on August 6 after missing two plenary sessions of the upper chamber of parliament.
The senator for Tyva has declined to discuss her reported vacations or the committee’s warning, telling RIA Novosti that she “does not comment on fake stories.” Her office also told the Gazeta.ru news outlet that they were unaware of any measures being taken against the senator.
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