Russia Ban Includes Chrystia Freeland And Irwin Cotler And They Don't Seem To Mind

Many of the 13 Canadians banned by Russia Monday say they're actually quite honoured by the move.

Liberal MPs Chrystia Freeland and Irwin Cotler were both on the list issued today by Moscow in retaliation for Canadian sanctions over Ukraine. Freeland, whose mother helped draft the Ukrainian constitution in the 1990s, tweeted that she was "in good company".

Love Russ lang/culture, loved my yrs in Moscow; but it's an honour to be on Putin's sanction list, esp in company of friends Cotler & Grod
— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) March 24, 2014

Liberal MP and human rights activist echoed Freeland's sentiment.

I see my travel ban from Russia as a badge of honour, not a mark of exclusion. #justice4sergeimagnitsky #cdnpoli #russia
— Irwin Cotler (@IrwinCotler) March 24, 2014

I was expelled from the Soviet Union in 1979 -- I did not stop fighting for human rights then, nor will I stop now. #cdnpoli
— Irwin Cotler (@IrwinCotler) March 24, 2014

Conservative MP James Bezan also didn't mind being singled out.

Sanctions by #Russia will not silence me standing up for #Ukraine. This is a badge of honour for all critics of the #Crimea Invasion
— James Bezan (@jamesbezan) March 24, 2014

And Tory MP Dean Allison didn't seem too upset either.

I guess I will have to hold off on buying that vacation property in Sochi. Proud to be #SanctionedByPutin #cdnpoli #Russia
— Dean Allison (@DeanAllisonMP) March 24, 2014

Proud to be standing up and sanctioned along with others for #democracy & sovereignty in #Ukraine. #cdnpoli #russia
— Dean Allison (@DeanAllisonMP) March 24, 2014

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