By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW (AA) – Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Moscow's comments on the protests in France are "a model of restraint and correctness," in comparison to caricatures by French magazine Charlie Hebdo on "all events in France and around the world."
In response to a question from Anadolu at a press conference in Moscow, Zakharova said even the most tragic events around the world, in which dozens or hundreds of people were killed, became the subject of numerous jokes and cartoons in Charlie Hebdo, including the 2015 incident of a plane explosion above the northern Sinai Peninsula in a terrorist act, killing all 224 passengers and crew on board.
The spokeswoman recalled that France did not even offer a single word of sympathy in response to Russia's demand for an apology over the caricature.
“I only recall being told ‘any manifestation of satire and humor is part of freedom of speech’,” she said.
The diplomat said statements by French President Emmanuel Macron and Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna about "disagreement, weakness of the Russian authorities, and armed forces,” leaves Russia "no room for delicacy."
"Therefore, against this background, our estimates of the mass riots in France, which cost the French economy over one billion euros, according to various estimates, culminating in the arrest of several thousand citizens, are a model of restraint and correctness.
"If they want delicacy in Paris, they should show us an example. We will gladly follow your lead," she said emphatically.
Zakharova also voiced concern that public discussions about the recent mass protests in France may divert attention away from the most important issue – the murder of a 17-year-old boy by a police officer.
"We would like to emphasize once again that we strongly condemn both the vandalism and outrages of the rioters, as well as the irresponsible use of illegal methods by French law enforcement against their own citizens. And we call on local authorities to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the murder of an unarmed teenager and take appropriate action to punish those responsible," she said.
The spokeswoman also noted that the increase in disproportionate use of force and cases of human rights violations in France has been repeatedly stated by non-governmental and international organizations, including the UN Human Rights Council, and recently by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which called on Paris to address the problems of racism and discrimination among French law enforcement officers.
"French authorities should think about their own problems instead of lecturing other countries incessantly and without reason," she remarked.
According to Zakharova, reports about French authorities restricting access to several social media networks are worth investigating, and the ministry "will certainly deal with this topic."
"If they restrict access, which I believe is possible," she emphasized, "then this is yet another example of double standards."
- Brazil, India 'natural' candidates for permanent seats in UNSC
When asked about the need to reform the UN Security Council, Zakharova said Moscow supports the idea of making the council "more representatives" by including developing countries from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
"We particularly single out India and Brazil as natural candidates for permanent seats in the council if a decision is made to expand it in both categories of membership," she said.
At the same time, the Western countries are "overrepresented," therefore, "the ambitions of Germany and Japan to get permanent seats in the body are seen as absolutely groundless," she stressed.
The spokeswoman pointed out that the West has established a system of "block foreign policy," in which decisions are made based on the development of some common positions. If a decision is made, "it means that it is being implemented by all NATO members."
“Hence the question – why do we need so many countries that have one decision for all? If the countries are part of the NATO bloc, in my opinion, they make decisions that are binding on everyone, they do not have their own voice in world affairs, and they all follow this logic," she said.
Concerning Africa, she said the decision on the nomination of specific candidates for a seat in the UN Security Council should be worked out in the African Union with the participation of all African countries.
- Consular access to US journalist
Concerning consular access to US journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested in Russia, Zakharova said the right of consular officials to visit citizens of the sending state who are in custody or arrested is defined by the host country's law and regulations, citing the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963.
"When dealing with such issues,... we take into account a lot of information before making a decision... this is both the principle of reciprocity and the circumstances of a bilateral nature," she explained.
Russia Russia denied Gershkovich consular access three times because the US Embassy refused to issue visas to Russian journalists who wanted to visit the UN headquarters in New York to cover Russia's chairmanship of the UN Security Council.
"We are talking about the possibility of visiting detainees when all the necessary formalities have been met, but not at the discretion of the US Embassy. In Russia, this style of American diplomacy, which is used to opening doors with its foot in some other countries, simply does not work. And the sooner they realize that, the better," she stressed.
The spokeswoman also urged "to remember the principle of reciprocity," noting that the visit of the US ambassador and other consular staff of the mission to Gershkovich will continue to be granted "depending on the schedule and the discretion of the Russian side."