"I'm happy that I was able to get justice. This shows that when you are right, you don't need to be afraid and can firmly insist on your rights," Diana Gurtskaya told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
The British Embassy in Moscow last week asked Gurtskaya to provide a digital photograph without her dark glasses and also required her to undergo a biometric eye scan in order to receive a visa.
After the incident, Gurtskaya wrote a letter of complaint to British Ambassador Anne Pringle, demanding an apology for her humiliation, citing the rights of individuals with limited abilities included in the UN Convention on the rights of the handicapped. Pringle began an investigation into the incident and informed Gurtskaya that the U.K. Border Agency had issued new instructions in receiving documents and formulating visas for people with physical handicaps.
The ambassador said in her letter that the incident could have been handed with "greater tact," but maintained that a clear digital full-face picture without dark glasses would be necessary. However, Gurtskaya was no longer required to undergo the biometric eye scan, and Pringle said the embassy's employees had been given instructions on how to handle similar situations in the future.
Gurtskaya and her lawyer-husband, Petr Kurchenko, have both received visas.
Gurtskaya, 29, has a number of international awards, including a 2007 Russian Honorable Artist award given to her by then-President Vladimir Putin, a Medal of Honor given to her by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, and the Award of Saint Barbara in Ukraine.
She has recorded duets with various well-known foreign singers including Ray Charles, Toto Cutugno, and Demis Roussos.
