Photo: Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The authorities of some countries keep on putting pressure on Russian-speaking citizens, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says. He made this statement during the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Supporting and Protecting the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad on December 10, TASS reports.
Leaders of Russian-speaking communities, human rights activists and journalists face restrictions in Western countries and Ukraine as well. They are pursued, detained and even arrested, Lavrov noted. The attack on the Russian language becomes large-scale, the Russian-language education is being destroyed.
The head of the Foreign Ministry stressed that foreign governments were trying to make young compatriots forget about their roots, deprive them of historical homeland and make them forget about cultural and linguistic identity.
The discrimination of Russian media is no less troubling, Lavrov added. He called such kind of behavior contrary to the fundamental principles of democracy and the violation of the freedom of speech.
At the same time the Western countries prefer to shy away from the violations of the rights of the Russian-speaking population and adhere to double standards. Russophobia has become a component of state policy in several countries and Ukraine as well.
The Minister appealed to the EU to finally investigate the facts of violations of fundamental human rights in Ukraine.
"There is an obvious tightening of the Ukrainian authorities’ policy towards any manifestation of nonconformist views. The goal of such actions is the suppression of freedom of speech and the fundamental right of language and culture, " he concluded.
Russkiy Mir
