The Ukranian ambassador warns anyone in his country sharing the alleged Christchurch gunman's manifesto will be hunted down and prosecuted.
The document was published online just minutes before the alleged gunman attacked two mosques in Christchurch, killing 51 people. It was banned by the Chief Censor earlier this year.
However, a Ukrainian online message board is now selling the booklet in paperback form, reportedly for NZ$6.23.
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According to NZME, the administrator of the "Ukrainian right-wing" channel it's being sold on wrote: "The idea is to give paper versions to everyone in a row, on birthdays, wedding anniversaries and baptisms of children".
News of its sale angered Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who slammed reports of the manifesto's sale on Wednesday as "abhorrent and disgusting".
"It wouldn't be able to happen in New Zealand," she said.
And on Thursday she told media she'd have "no hesitation" asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to contact Ukraine.
"As I said yesterday, from New Zealand's perspective it's abhorrent," she said. "But of course we only have the ability to control what occurs within our jurisdiction - again, the individual Government's have their own legislative tools."
Now Ukraine's ambassador, Dmytro Senik, has responded, acknowledging New Zealand officials have contacted Ukrainian authorities over the manifesto. He said his government was taking the issue "very seriously".
"Our law enforcement agencies are now attempting to investigate if it is true, and if it is, we will prosecute. Ukraine will not tolerate any manifestations of extreme religious or racial hatred," he told RNZ.
"Our legislation, including the criminal code, clearly defines it as a crime. So any dissemination of the literature that contains hatred is not acceptable in Ukraine."
Newshub.
