Head of Crimea prohibited Crimean officials from accepting foreign awards and titles without permission
The head of the Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov ordered Crimean officials to ask permission to receive foreign titles or awards. A corresponding decree was published on the website of the Russian Government of the Crimea.
"The person who receives a rank or award from a foreign state, international organization, political party or other public institution shall submit to the head of the Crimea within three working days a request for permission to take an honorary or special title," the text of the decree says.
The decree stipulates that the head of the Crimea is obliged to consider the request of an official within a month. The document does not mention the penalty for officials who accept a foreign award or title without Aksyonov’s permission.
The internationally recognized Ukrainian territory of Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation in March of 2014 in the wake of the Ukrainian revolution. The Kremlin has faced international condemnation for its annexation of the Peninsula, leading many western countries to impose economic sanctions against Russia. In the United Nations, only Afghanistan, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Syria recognize Crimea as a legitimate federal subject of Russia.