The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said: ‘In general the way human rights issues are used in the international context in something that we do not except. A number of countries are striving to monopolize the Human Rights discussion to politicize it and to use it as an instrument of pressure. These countries do not tolerate criticism addressed to them but they try to selectively impose the objects for human rights monitoring at their discretion and depending on the political conjuncture.’

He also stated that Russia believed that human rights issues cannot be exclusively controlled by anyone. This is work that should be conducted collectively in a constructive manner and all countries would benefit from this approach, he adds.

Russia resolutely opposes armed intervention from abroad in support of one of the sides in internal conflicts. Human rights violations must not be left unpunished but it is unacceptable when acts committed under the pretext of human rights lead to massive human rights violations including deaths of hundreds of citizens, Gatilov said.