Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools
Sections
You are here: Home Breaking news Russia hits back at EU with own human rights report

Russia hits back at EU with own human rights report

06 December 2012, 21:59 CET
— filed under: ,

(MOSCOW) - Russia, a target of regular criticism from Europe over human rights, hit back Thursday with a report on the rights situation in the European Union, saying it was plagued by racism, police abuse and neo-Nazism.

"Although the European Union and its members traditionally declare their commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights both on the national and international levels, the situation in this sphere in the EU is still far from perfect," opens the 66-page report.

The document, published in English on the foreign ministry's website, gives an overview of the rights situation in each of the EU's 27 member countries, listing as among the most pressing problems "a steady growth of xenophobia, racism, violent nationalism and neo-Nazism, violation of rights of minorities, prisoners, refugees, migrants, and persons with mental illnesses."

It accuses EU countries of injustices including privacy violations, police abuse, gender inequality, infringements on press freedom and harbouring so-called "black sites", or secret prisons operated by the US Central Intelligence Agency.

"All this is in an obvious contradiction with the EU claims of being the model and often the 'supreme arbiter' as far as human rights and democratic freedoms are concerned," it says.

Germany is accused of human rights shortcomings including giving more television airtime to the ruling party than to the opposition.

France is accused of violating the rights of the Roma, police abuse against immigrants and maintaining dirty and overcrowded prisons.

Britain, among other alleged abuses, is accused of an increase in discrimination and racism, including in public officials' remarks, and a campaign of "persecution" against homophobes.

The report mentions a London advertising campaign that was banned this year. The campaign had been initiated by a Christian group aiming to convert gay people into heterosexuals.

But the report singles out other countries for praise, including Ireland, where "in general, the human rights situation... can be described as satisfactory," it says.

The report says Moscow's goal is to "draw the attention of both EU Member States and EU supranational bodies to serious problems at their home.

"Russia is ready for a constructive dialogue of equals with the European Union on human rights and democratic development," it adds.

Russia has often come in for criticism over human rights from the EU, as well as local and international rights organisations.

The EU recently voiced concern over new laws sharply criticised by local activists that expanded the definition of high treason and forced groups that receive international funding to register as "foreign agents", a move seen as a throwback to Soviet times.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also been criticised over a crackdown on protesters opposed to his return to the Kremlin for a third term in May -- including the high-profile case of punk band Pussy Riot, two of whose members are currently serving two-year sentences for staging an anti-Putin performance in a Moscow cathedral.


Document Actions