Zakharova says refusal to issue visas to Crimean citizens is violation of human rights

 Zakharova says refusal to issue visas to Crimean citizens is violation of human rights

Russia regularly puts the issue of discrimination of Crimean citizens in visas issue at international floors, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said during a weekly briefing.

"This is discrimination and violation of human rights Russia was always criticized for," Zakharova noted. "Now it turns out that rights of specific citizens are directly violated. Non-issue of visas by territorial principle, by expression of will of citizens or their political views is a direct violation of various international obligations of countries deciding to do that," TASS cited her as saying.

"We put this issue forward in bilateral contacts and at international floors and call attention of heads of international organizations to unacceptability of such discrimination," Zakharova said.

"Despite Europe being the birthplace in human rights sphere, now it is taking the lead in the sanction policy of persecuting specific individuals," she noted.

"If there are special groups of journalists, for instance, or representatives of international organizations, I can assure you that we are doing everything possible to provide information to them and, of course, without violation of Russian legislation, to make everything possible for prompt issuance of visas and documents," she added.

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