The Government has formally summoned the Russian Ambassador to express its displeasure over the actions of an individual accused of publishing explicit images of Ghanaian women online without their permission.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday in Accra, it stated that Ambassador Sergei Berdnikov was called to the Ministry to formally express the strong displeasure of the Government of Ghana at the atrocious conduct of the supposed Russian, which clearly violates Ghanaian law, and to seek the cooperation of Russia in pursuing justice.
It said Ambassador Sergei Berdnikov acknowledged the violation of the privacy and dignity of the victims, and the larger cybercrime dimensions, while expressing the willingness of the Russian Federation to cooperate with the Republic of Ghana on the matter at hand.
“The Russian Ambassador, however, indicated that he is unable to confirm the Russian nationality of the individual at the centre of the intimate viral videos, and further disclosed that the purported name making the rounds in the media is not a known Russian name and rather represents an inappropriate or vulgar expression in the Russian language,” it added.
According to the release, the Ambassador highlighted similar activities of the said individual in other countries, which had come to the attention of Russian authorities and were being investigated by Russian experts.
Ambassador Sergei Berdnikov has pledged that the Embassy in Ghana is willing to share information on the matter to facilitate Ghana’s ongoing efforts aimed at apprehending the individual and bringing him to justice, within the context of our longstanding bilateral relations, despite the absence of a legally binding extradition treaty.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to assure the general public of its commitment to leverage the cordial bilateral relations between Ghana and Russia, and to explore all international tools and remedies to ensure that justice is secured,” it said.
Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran, ISD
