Ukrainian Foreign Ministry fires its consul in Germany for making anti-Semitic statements
The Disciplinary Commission of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the Consul General of Ukraine in Hamburg, Vasyl Marushchynets from service because of anti-Semitic statements that he made on Facebook, the Ministry’s press service stated.
According to the statement, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the Consul General. Following the consideration of the case, the commission concluded that the messages posted on the diplomat’s personal Facebook page are a violation of the official ethics and oath of a civil servant. Thus, the diplomat committed "actions that harm the authority of the civil service."
"The commission believes that the actions of Marushchynets are incompatible with diplomatic activities and principles of public service. The commission proposed to punish him by dismissal from the post of civil service," the report said. The order to dismiss the diplomat is dated May 30.
The Foreign Ministry acknowledged that the results of the proceedings could be forwarded to law enforcement agencies for the initiation of a criminal case. The commission believes that there were signs of a crime in Marushchynets’s actions, namely incitement of ethnic strife.
Anatoly Shariy, videoblogger and former investigative journalist described the diplomat’s Facebook messages as anti-Semitic. Marushchynets posted his statements on a personal, closed page on the social network, accessible only to his friends. Screenshots of the posts have been published by Strana.ua news outlet.
After the posts by the Consul General went viral, the situation drew the attention of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin announced the initiation of an investigation into Marushchynets. On May 14, the diplomat was suspended from his duties.