Russia Swipes at US Over Human Rights ReportRussia Thursday sharply condemned the US State Department's Monday report criticizing the human rights situation in over 100 countries, calling it "groundless fudges."On the report's chapter dealing with Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Moscow "will not tolerate the didactic tone and unfounded accusations coming from a state full of police violence, anti-Semitism and racism, 'contract ' journalism and neglect for the main constitutional rights and liberties." The United States' own commentaries on the recent presidential elections suggest that the practice of ensuring democratic elections in the United States remains quite imperfect, the Foreign Ministry said. "The report has obviously far-fetched judgments on the freedom of press, religion, actions of law-enforcement agencies and the situation in the Chechen Republic," the statement said. The ministry expressed the hope that under the new US administration, the annual U.S. State Department report on human rights will become objective and rid itself of double standards. Russia is not afraid to speak openly about its problems and flaws, but is ready to hold "matter-of-fact and mutually respectful dialogue" with other countries on the human rights issues, the statement stressed. |
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