Valery Gergiev, London Symphony Orchestra’s Chief Conductor, uses his celebrity status and his weight in the art world to openly and expressly support the totalitarian regime of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

In March 2014, Mr Gergiev signed an open letter published on the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Culture website “declaring adamant support for the position of the Russian President toward Ukraine and Crimea”. In doing so, he is explicitly giving his public support to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the military invasion and annexation of Crimea, which violates at least four international treaties, and has been unequivocally condemned by the UK Government and the international community.

In September 2013, Mr Gergiev’s comments on Russia’s Anti-Homosexual Propaganda Bill 2013 appeared on the Dutch news website, Volkskrant. He said "In Russia we do everything we can to protect children from paedophiles. This law is not about homosexuality, it targets paedophilia." The Bill has been condemned by groups such as the Peter Tatchell Foundation and Amnesty International for the way it equates homosexuality with paedophilia, restricts freedom of expression, and has already resulted in countless anti-gay attacks on LGBT citizens in Russia.

Intolerance, aggression, disregard for the rule of law and democratic processes - are these the values we want reflected in our leading cultural institutions?

Mr Gergiev needs to decide which he feels more strongly about: (1) supporting the values of his country's President, Vladimir Putin, or (2) supporting the values and protecting the reputation of his current employer, the London Symphony Orchestra, which receives over £2m Arts Council public funding per year.

Mr Gergiev's should be suspended with immediate effect until he officially withdraws his signature from the petition in favor of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine and fully explains his position on the Anti-Homosexual Propaganda Bill.  If he is not prepared to do this, his employment should be terminated as he is not an appropriate person to be in receipt of UK public funding.