Canadian poet and writer Margaret Atwood was joined by Hollywood actor Jim Carrey in ridiculing the travel ban to Russia imposed on them alongside 98 other Canadians.
On November 14, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation published a list with a hundred Canadian citizens targeted with “personal sancions” as an act of revenge for the latest round of sanctions introduced by Canada for 32 persons related with Putin’s regime. The blacklisted Canadians include state officials, political analysts, journalists, members of organizations related to Ukrainian diaspora, and also artists like the Atwood and Carrey.
Rusian Foreign Ministry announced that these latest sanctions, amounting to ban to enter Russia, are reciprocal “response to the ongoing imposition of sanctions by the regime led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Russian leadership, politicians and parliamentarians, members of the business community, analysts and journalists, and cultural figures, as well as anybody whom the Canadian Russophobic authorities consider objectionable.” Radio Free Europe noted that “there are now 1,005 Canadian citizens and companies on Russia’s sanction list.”
Writer and poet Margaret Atwood (82) has published 18 novels, 18 books of poetry and 11 nonfiction books. She’ a recipient of numerous awards including two Booker Prizes, and of the Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings in 2016, (which is possibly the oldest continuous international poetry festival, held annually in North Macedonia). Atwood was already world famous when the Netfix TV series based on her antiutopian science fiction book “Handmaid’s Tale,” which was nominated for the Nebula in 1986, increased her celebrity status. She is often among the candidates for the Nobel Prize for literature.
Jessie Gaynor, senior editor of Literary Hub, opined that the ‘sin’ which caused the Kremlin to put Atwood on their latest sanctions list was signing the Open Letter by the PEN International, signed by over 1000 writers worldwide, including several Nobel prize winners, expressing solidarity with writers, journalists, artists, and the people of Ukraine, condemning the Russian invasion and calling for an immediate end to the bloodshed.
Atwood has been outspoken critic of all kinds of tirany both through her works and public appearances, and during the last year she had been adamant in addressing the failures of Putin’s propaganda.
Actor Jim Carrey alegedly got sanctioned by Russia for tweeting a recommendation for a documentary movie about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalni.
In Daniel Roher’s doc ‘Navalny,’ one brave man and his family stand up against intolerable evil. Navalny himself exposes Czar Putin and his soulless minions in their fiendish conspiracy to poison him, suppress the truth and intimidate the Russian people. https://t.co/YRBXBAFNtN
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) April 22, 2022
After the annoucement of Russian sanctions against them Atwood and Carrey took to Twitter providing ironic reactions. First Atwood tweeted: „Dang! Jim Carrey and I had planned a little naughty weekend getaway in Moscow. Guess it will have to be Kyiv instead.”
Dang! @JimCarrey and I had planned a little naughty weekend getaway in Moscow. Guess it will have to be Kyiv instead. https://t.co/FzGkiqiVJK
— Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) November 14, 2022
In response comedy actor Carry responded that while the travel ban to russia was “the worst” that could happen to them, still “the problems of 100 Canadians don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world!” He concluded with a quote from classic romantic drama Casablanca: “We’ll always have Paris. Here’s looking at you kid.”
Yes @MargaretAtwood, I’m afraid the worst has happened. We’re banned from Russia🥱…but the problems of 100 Canadians don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world! We’ll always have Paris. Here’s looking at you kid. 😢☔️ https://t.co/yLtE0WwbNV
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) November 15, 2022
Political analyst and blogger of Ukrainian origin Ariana Gic, who was placed on the 97th position of the new Russian sanctions list, at a position right before Atwood also tweeted a commentary on the situation:
It’s official. I’ve been sanctioned by Russia.
Moscow is truly delusional to think their sanctions matter to those of us who want their evil regime destroyed.
Canada had started introducing Russia related sanctions on March 17, 2014, through amendments of the Special Economic Measures Act) “in order to respond to the gravity of Russia’s violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and grave human rights violations that have been committed in Russia.”
These Canadian sanctions include asset freeze, export and import restrictions and financial prohibitions. The list which had been updates with new amendments over the last 8 years includes over 1,090 individuals and legal persons, including 32 new members, added on November 10.
