UN member states gave Russia recommendations to improve the human rights situation

April 29, 2012 in Geneva during the 16th session of the Working group of the UN Human Rights Council for the holding of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the second national report of the Russian Federation.

After the report of the Russian side, delegates from different countries expressed their recommendations to Russia in the field of improving the situation with observance of human rights.

Among other things, the delegates expressed their views on the situation in sphere of interethnic and interreligious relations.

Cuba praised Russia on the issue of establishing interethnic dialogue. But Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Korea, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Botswana, Cambodia, Chad and Syria expressed its concern with this issue, urging Russia to strengthen interethnic relations, develop racial tolerance, combat crimes motivated hatred, extremism and terrorism. Tunisia believes that senior officials in the Russian Federation should publicly speak out against racist and xenophobic statements. Burkina Faso and Egypt recommend expanding rights protection migrants and their families. India and Malaysia made recommendations to develop interreligious dialogue.

Hungary, Mexico, Bolivia, Namibia and Estonia called for better ensure the rights of indigenous peoples. Namibia proposes to increase their budget funding, and Bolivia and Ukraine to ensure the right to study in their native language.

Mexico believes that Russia should not demand from labor migrants knowledge of the Russian language, while Angola recommends fighting with all kinds of discrimination.

A number of delegates made recommendations in the field of changing legislation, including anti-extremist ones. Thus, the United States and Italy believe that Russia should change the law on extremism. The latter called on the Russian Federation to limit the definition of what in general should be considered extremism.

Many countries have expressed concern about the amendments to treason law. Representatives of Ireland spoke about this, UK, Chile.

Sources

• Inc. inf.