Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has said it wasn't privy to information that Swedish recording artist Alban Nwapa (stage name Dr.Alban) was banned from entering Ukraine after he performed in Russian-annexed Crimea.
"The Security Service of Ukraine has no information about the Ukraine entry ban specified in the inquiry regarding said foreign citizen," the SBU told Ukrayinska Pravda, RFE/RL reports.
In December, Nwapa on his Instagram account thanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for allegedly interceding in having the authorities allow him to cross into Ukraine.
The artist had previously done a gig in Crimea and allegedly broke Ukrainian law by not receiving permission through the proper channels.
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"I was forbidden to enter Ukraine because of my previous show on the disputed island of Crimea. With the intervention of the president, I was able to get to Ukraine," Nwapa initially said.
He later altered the post on December 16 acknowledging the entry ban but omitted the reference to Zelensky allegedly having helped him.
"Meeting Ukrainian President...Zelensky," Nwapa said. "I was banned entering Ukraine because of my previous show in the Crimea peninsula...Ukrainians don't like it.... It's just not easy or possible for me and many people to know that entering Crimea then you are breaking Ukrainian law. Many foreigners won't know this."
