19th March 2019
ATTN: John Paul Moloney
Managing Editor, Canberra Times
Dear Mr Moloney,
I am writing to you on behalf of the Ukrainian Community of Queensland Inc. (UCQ) to protest the publication of an advertisement in your paper yesterday, March 18 2019 by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation Grigory Ligvinov on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Russia’s forced annexation of Crimea.
The international community, including the Australian Government, have condemned the illegal annexation and occupation of Crimea and are demanding that Russia return Crimea to Ukraine.
We find the publication of this advertisement, the second of this nature in four months, to be unconscionable, and condemn the Canberra Times’ ongoing promotion of Russian propaganda.
We call on the Canberra Times to remove this paid advertisement from all online locations, and formally apologise in print and through your social media channels, for allowing its initial publication, as you did in December 2018 in relation to a similar advertisement by the Russian Ambassador.
Awaiting your retraction and apology,
Peter Bongiorni J.P. (Qual.)
President | Ukrainian Community of Queensland Inc.
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