Russian nuclear physicist Andrei Ozharovsky has confirmed in an interview that he inadvertently violated Mongolian law, which ultimately led to his deportation from the country.
“It turned out that I had broken Mongolian legislation. Here, it is forbidden to use dosimeters that have not been officially approved by the Mongolian authorities. Can you believe it? I`ve never encountered such a regulation before, and I committed the violation unknowingly,” Ozharovsky stated.
He further elaborated that while his infraction was relatively minor, it served to highlight a much more significant issue: the environmental contamination caused by uranium mining companies operating in the region.
As a consequence, Ozharovsky was issued a three-year ban from entering Mongolia and fined 100,000 Mongolian tugriks (approximately 2,240 rubles). He was required to pay the fine using all the cash he had on hand. Following this, the Russian citizen was escorted to the border and transported by a passing vehicle to Kyakhta, a border town located in Buryatia.
News of Ozharovsky`s detention by Mongolian migration services and police first surfaced on August 19. The scientist had originally traveled to Mongolia at the invitation of local environmental activists who are actively campaigning against uranium extraction in the country.
