Italy cancels permission for Russian propaganda exhibition on occupied Mariupol

The Italian city of Modena has revoked permission for the propaganda exhibition "Mariupol – Rebirth after the war," which focuses on the city of Mariupol under Russian occupation. The Ukrainian diplomatic corps brought this decision to light in an appeal.

The spokesman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Oleh Nikolenko, reported that on January 9.

"At the request of the Ukrainian side, the mayor's office of the Italian city of Modena withdrew permission to hold a propaganda exhibition about occupied Mariupol," the official said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine welcomed this decision. Not providing platforms for "such Russian provocations" is an essential contribution to Ukraine's victory over Russian aggression, Nikolenko added.

The cancellation of the exhibition was also announced in a press release on the City Hall of Modena website. The exhibition's content, as noted by the City Hall, contradicts Article 11 of the Constitution, which "proclaims the obligation of Italy to renounce war as an instrument of crime and to promote peace in international relations."

The city council adopted the decision on January 9 at the mayor's suggestion, Gian Carlo Muzzarelli. The City Hall of Modena explains that at the time of the request for the exhibition, "not all the details regarding the topics covered at the event were known to the organization, which later emerged both from the media and from the association itself through its communication channels."

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An exhibition about the "flourishing" of Mariupol after its occupation by Russia was to open in Italian Modena on January 20, according to an announcement from January 2. The event organizer is the "Emilia Romagna Russian Cultural Association."

After the announcement about the exhibition, Ukrainians in Italy were called to gather at a protest in Modena on January 20, the day the event was supposed to take place. After receiving the information that the exhibition would be canceled, the co-organizer of the rallies, Marianna Soronevych, wrote on her Facebook that the actions in Modena would not be withdrawn because it was an event to counter Russian propaganda in general.

Reaction of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said this exhibition is a provocation.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has already instructed the Ukrainian embassy in Rome to prepare an official appeal. At the official level, Italy resolutely supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. And we expect that there will be an appropriate reaction to this propaganda event," Nikolenko said in a comment to Suspilne on January 4.

The following day, the department's position regarding the planned event appeared on the Ukrainian Embassy website in Italy. The press service says the embassy has already sent an official request to cancel the event.