Support The Moscow Times!

Top Russian Rights Diplomat Slams Ukraine's Proposed Ban on Promoting Communism

A high-ranking diplomat at Russia's Foreign Ministry on Sunday denounced Ukraine's proposed ban on promoting communism and Naziism, saying that by equating the two ideologies, Kiev was violating international law.

The Ukrainian government recently submitted legislation to the parliament "to condemn the communist and Nazi totalitarian regimes in Ukraine, to prohibit their propaganda and declassify the archives of the repressive communist authorities," according to a statement published on the Ukrainian government portal on April 1.

Urging lawmakers to approve the bills, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said in the statement: "The government has drafted [the bills]. We appeal to the parliament to adopt these laws and ban at last the communist and Nazi ideology as twins, which are the ideologies against humanity."

The Foreign Ministry's ombudsman for human rights, democracy and rule of law, Konstantin Dolgov, called the proposed legislation "political buffoonery" in a post on Twitter.

Dolgov wrote on Twitter: "Kiev wants to officially equate communism and Nazism, forbidding the promotion of both. This goes against international law."

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more