Ruslan Balbek

Russian politician
Ruslan Balbek
Member of the State Duma
In office
5 October 2016 – 12 October 2021
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Crimea
In office
28 May 2014 – 5 October 2016
PresidentVladimir Putin
Prime MinisterSergey Aksyonov
Preceded byLenur Islyamov [ru](acting)
Succeeded byposition abolished
Assistant to Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada
In office
2010–2013
Personal details
Born (1977-08-28) 28 August 1977 (age 46)
Bekabad, Uzbek SSR, USSR
CitizenshipRussian Federation
Political partyUnited Russia
Alma materTavrida National V.I. Vernadsky University
Websiteрусланбальбек.рф

Ruslan Ismailovich Balbek (Russian: Руслан Исмаилович Бальбек; born 28 August 1977) is a Russian and former Ukrainian politician and former member of the State Duma from the United Russia party. A supporter of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, he has been highly critical of the Mejlis.[1]

Balbek grew up in Sudak, then part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Union, where his family lived after their return from exile. He began trying to enter local politics with the Socialist Party of Ukraine in 2010, but remained a junior figure. From 2007 to 2012 he was a delegate of the Qurultay. In 2014 he took on a more senior role in politics, being chosen for a position in the Council of Ministers of Crimea, replacing Lenur Islyamov [ru]. Shortly after entering the Duma in 2016 he was sanctioned by Canada. The Prosecutor's office of Ukraine opened a case against him for treason, which he described as "nonsense", saying he never swore loyalty to the Euromaidan Government. As a member of the Duma he has denied that Moscow treats Crimean Tatars as second-class citizens,[2] contradicting claims from Crimean Tatar opposition.

Balbek has been criticized for making bold unsubstantiated claims, including saying Vatan Karabash's attempted self-immolation was a Hollywood production[3] and that Hizb ut-Tahrir is a product of Anglo-Saxons.[4] His political opponents have described him as a "collaborator" and "careerist" enriching himself by supporting the administration in Crimea,[5][6] and Mustafa Dzhemilev has accused him of being an FSB agent since 2006, pointing out his arrest for embezzlement in 2006, citing his release from the charges in 2006 and his release after arrest for assaulting a police officer in 2011.[7][8][9]

Sanctions

Sanctioned by the UK government in 2016 in relation to Russo-Ukrainian War. [10]

References

  1. ^ Yaselskaya, Aleksandra (2019-08-18). ""Фабрика идиотизма»: В Крыму прокомментировали заявление Джемилева о «возвращении Крыма Украине"". Komsomolskaya Pravda (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  2. ^ "Бальбек: права крымских татар в Крыму никто не ущемляет". ТАСС. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  3. ^ "В Госдуме назвали инсценировкой самоподжог крымскотатарского активиста в Симферополе". Новая газета - Novayagazeta.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  4. ^ "Руслан Бальбек: «Хизб ут-Тахрир»* – это англосаксонский продукт". Вести Крым (in Russian). 2019-07-12. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  5. ^ Stelmakh, Sergey (20 August 2019). "Крымские коллаборанты и «форум отчаяния»". Крым.Реалии (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  6. ^ Veselova, Viktoriya (19 May 2018). "«Заслужили» у России". Крым.Реалии (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  7. ^ "Кому перешел дорогу «социалист» Бальбек?". Милли Фирка (in Russian). 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  8. ^ "Jemilev: New Crimean deputy premier Balbek has criminal record - May. 29, 2014". KyivPost. 2014-05-29. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  9. ^ "Бальбек, Руслан Исмаилович". ТАСС. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  10. ^ "CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK" (PDF). Retrieved 16 April 2023.