MOSCOW, 20 January (BelTA) – The Russian State Duma condemned the policy of double standards in Europe in a statement adopted on 20 January, BelTA has learned.
Mass protests have recently been taking place in a number of European countries, particularly in Germany and France, the State Duma stated. People are unhappy about the measures taken to stem the spread of a new coronavirus infection in their countries. The police have treated the protesters badly using water cannons and tear gas against them.
“Following the Western rhetoric templates, the police can be accused of disproportionate use of force and brutality. At the same time, the German and French authorities continue to angrily stigmatize the actions of the Belarusian police and justify the aggressive crowd. Apparently, Berlin and Paris believe that law enforcement in European countries allegedly act for the benefit of democracy, while in Belarus they abuse it,” the statement says.
The Russian Duma called on MPs and governments of European states “to adhere to uniform approaches to the assessment of such events at home and abroad, and to fully respect the right to freedom of peaceful assembly”.
The Russian State Duma will send the statement to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS member states, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
