France 'grants' political asylum to Femen leader
France might not have been keen on granting political asylum to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden but it emerged on Monday that Paris has agreed to take in Inna Shevchenko, the Ukranian leader of militant feminist organisation Femen.
The head of the French branch of radical topless feminist group Femen, Ukrainian Inna Shevchenko, said Monday that Paris had granted her request for political asylum.
Shevchenko told AFP she had received notification from France's OFPRA refugee agency that her request had been granted, based on fears that she would face persecution in Ukraine for her political activities.
The 23-year-old said she had made a "strategic choice" to seek asylum in France. "To develop the movement, we need a place, we need a country," she said.
The agency refused to comment, saying information on asylum requests was confidential. But OFPRA documents seen by AFP said the decision to grant Shevchenko asylum had been taken on April 9.
Shevchenko said she fears persecution in Ukraine after she sawed down a large wooden cross that stood in the centre of Kiev.
The stunt was intended to support Russian band Pussy Riot, whose members were jailed last year for their "punk prayer" protest against President Vladimir Putin's close relations with the Russian Orthodox Church.
NSFW pic at link:
http://www.thelocal.fr/20130708/france-grants-political-asylum-to-femen-leader
