Ireland’s Justice Ministry stated that they have never sent such letters to Ukrainian citizens.
Anonymous accounts, as well as some social media users, are sharing the news that Ukrainians in Ireland have allegedly started receiving extradition notices because they are subject to mobilization in Ukraine. These posts are accompanied by a photocopy of a letter that the Ireland’s Justice Ministry allegedly sent to a Ukrainian citizen living in Limerick. The letter states that the man will be extradited to Ukraine based on the 1957 European Convention on Extradition.
In reality, the report about the extradition of Ukrainians subject to conscription from Ireland is false, as well as the forged letter. Ireland’s Justice Ministry stated that they have never sent such letters to Ukrainian citizens.
The fact that this letter is a forgery is indicated by errors in the text, as well as inconsistency of its content with the local legislation. In particular, the name of the country is indicated in the letter as “Republic of Ireland”, which is “Description of the State”. The name “Republic of Ireland” is used only where it is necessary to remove ambiguity between the state and the island of Ireland. In all other cases (in international treaties and other legal documents, in diplomatic relations, etc.), the official name of the country enshrined in the Constitution is used, Ireland.
A ministry spokeswoman told The Irish Times: “If anyone is unsure of the authenticity of any correspondence they receive purporting to be from the Department of Justice, they can contact the Department on 1800-221227. Scams are common. They can happen at any time. Some of the most common types of scams involve the use of fake emails, calls or texts pretending to be from real companies and organizations.”
The exact number of recipients of these fake letters is currently unknown. It is also unknown who is behind this provocation. Shayan Sardarizadeh, a BBC Verify journalist, drew attention to the fact that this letter is shared online mainly by pro-Kremlin accounts.
Earlier, Ukrainian politician David Arahamiya, said that conscripted Ukrainians who left Ukraine with forged certificates of unfitness for service may be extradited home. In a comment to Radio Svoboda, a member of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, Fedir Venislavsky, emphasized that illegal crossing of the Ukrainian state border is a criminal offense of a personalized nature. However, for each illegal fact, Ukraine needs to apply for extradition to foreign authorities and provide documents that the person is really hiding from the pre-trial investigation authorities or the court.
Previously, StopFake journalists refuted similar disinformation in the article Fake: Poland Kicks Out Refugees to Get Them Drafted into Ukrainian Forces.
