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Ambassador-at-Large Gennady Askaldovich's answer to a question from Rossiya Segodnya about US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statement on the inclusion of Russia in the list of alleged violators of religious freedom

30 November 202120:09
2467-30-11-2021

Question: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced recently that Russia, along with China and Iran, had been put on the list of countries that, according to Washington, "engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom." How can you comment on this step? Will Russia retaliate?

Gennady Askaldovich: The Russian position with regard to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statement was set out by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on November 25, 2021. I would only add the following.

The United States is displaying an enviable persistence in playing up the religious theme. They stick labels on undesirable states, including Russia, which allegedly violate religious freedom. It is simply amazing how brazenly and unceremoniously the United States has arrogated to itself the right to be an international supervisor in charge of world religious affairs which it regulates at its own discretion.

I would like to add to Maria Zakharova's comment that this is yet another unfriendly US action towards Russia, reflecting an intention to convince the world community of a large-scale infringement of the rights of believers in Russia, which is absolutely at odds with the reality.

The peremptory US formula concerning the "egregious violations of religious freedom" is an outrage. We have to reiterate again and again that there is no religious persecution in Russia. Neither are there detainees who could be listed, even at a stretch, as "prisoners of conscience." It will be recalled that Russian justice metes out punishment subject to the fact and graveness of an administrative offense or a criminal offence.

While preaching to others, the Americans forget that it is they who intentionally politicise the religious sphere. They have established the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, an actually puppet organisation intended to encourage the loyal and punish the disloyal countries or regimes. Have the US approaches, diktat, and pressure ever led to positive results? If I am not mistaken, the history of interstate relations lacks examples of this kind. This is an inertia-driven approach that leads the situation which requires delicacy, tact, and restraint into an impasse.

Will we retaliate? Undoubtedly, this new US attack on our country, one in a series of unfriendly US actions, will not go without a response. We will expose the US desire to use the religious factor to achieve their foreign policy ambitions. Unlike the Americans, however, we are not in the habit of resorting to crude pressure.