RF Council condemns violence against Serbs

Russia's Federation Council, parliament’s upper house, condemned on Thursday the violence which the international forces used against Serbs. The Council stressed that their behavior was an excellent example of double standards, Itar Tass has reported. RF Council condemns violence against Serbs Russian Federation Council First Deputy Chairman Aleksandr Torshin said that the KFOR troops, who have the UN mandate to protect civilians, were acting as if they were punitive units. “Russia expresses solidarity with the Serbian brothers and strongly condemns totally unjustified violence against civilians,” said Torshin, commenting on the situation in the village of Jagnjenica in northern Kosovo, where the KFOR troops started removing the barricades Thursday morning. According to him, Serbs' guilt lies in being stripped of their motherland by force. “KFOR Commander General Erhard Drews gave Serbs an ultimatum to remove the barricades, without warning them of possible consequences,” Torshin pointed out, adding that tear gas, armored vehicles and rubber bullets were used against civilians. The Russian official also voiced his dissatisfaction over the fact that the NATO representatives qualified KFOR's current actions as “self-defense”. “That is another excellent example of double standards which are being enforced by the states that are teaching others about democracy,” he told Itar Tass. “They speak about necessity of the cooperation with the European Court of Human Rights, while at the same time they allow themselves such punitive actions against civilians who are lacking the promised international protection, and therefore trying to protect their rights and freedoms in some way,” Torshin concluded. Moscow (B92)

RF Council condemns violence against Serbs

Russian Federation Council First Deputy Chairman Aleksandr Torshin said that the KFOR troops, who have the UN mandate to protect civilians, were acting as if they were punitive units.

“Russia expresses solidarity with the Serbian brothers and strongly condemns totally unjustified violence against civilians,” said Torshin, commenting on the situation in the village of Jagnjenica in northern Kosovo, where the KFOR troops started removing the barricades Thursday morning.

According to him, Serbs' guilt lies in being stripped of their motherland by force.

“KFOR Commander General Erhard Drews gave Serbs an ultimatum to remove the barricades, without warning them of possible consequences,” Torshin pointed out, adding that tear gas, armored vehicles and rubber bullets were used against civilians.

The Russian official also voiced his dissatisfaction over the fact that the NATO representatives qualified KFOR's current actions as “self-defense”.

“That is another excellent example of double standards which are being enforced by the states that are teaching others about democracy,” he told Itar Tass.

“They speak about necessity of the cooperation with the European Court of Human Rights, while at the same time they allow themselves such punitive actions against civilians who are lacking the promised international protection, and therefore trying to protect their rights and freedoms in some way,” Torshin concluded.