Report details ‘shocking’ discrimination against Russians abroad
A report by the Russian Foreign Ministry has revealed widespread violations of the rights of Russians abroad since the start of the Ukraine offensive in late February.
“Total discrimination against Russians that’s shocking in its savagery” is currently taking place in many Western countries, the ministry stressed in a paper published on its official website on Wednesday.
The report detailed incidents from almost 40 nations, with the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Poland and the Baltic states being blamed for allowing the gravest infringements.
According to the report, the most common violations have included refusals to provide educational, medical, banking and other services to Russians, as well as sanctions against businessmen from the country and seizure of property belonging to those from Russia.
There have also been attempts to make Russians in Western countries publicly repent and condemn the actions of the Russian authorities in Ukraine, the document claims.
The report describes how athletes have been banned from various international competitions, while artists, including musicians, have ended up being sidelined from festivals, competitions and other cultural events.
The anti-Russian sentiment has also resulted in attacks, threats, insults and deliberate damage to property, the report said, adding that people have been fired from their jobs and evicted from apartments they’ve rented only because of their nationality.
Not only have ordinary citizens been subjected to attacks and provocations, but Russian diplomats have as well. “Such acts took place exclusively in the states that are waging a sanctions war against our country. Their massive and organized nature allows to conclude that those attacks were planned,” the ministry pointed out.
One of the examples provided in the report was the decision by the UK authorities to switch off the ‘panic button,’ a function that alerts the police about emergency situations, at the Russian embassy in London and at the residence of the country's ambassador.
The ministry said it was “especially concerned” about the discrimination against Russian children, who are often humiliated and insulted by their classmates behavior, to which their teachers turn a blind eye. “All this shows the depth and scale of Russophobic moods in Western society,” it insisted.
The harassment of Russian students has been especially prevalent in Germany and has been perpetrated by both fellow pupils and teachers, the document details. Many schools in the country teach classes that discredit Russia and misinterpret the events in Ukraine, and those who refuse to attend them are being threatened with expulsion, the report claimed.
The Foreign Ministry assured that it will keep using diplomatic means to protect the rights of Russian citizens abroad while also keeping track of any further violations.
