Russia accuses West of double standards on Syria
May 1, 2011 - 0:0
Russia on Saturday reiterated its principled stance over Syria after refusing to endorse a U.S. call for an investigation into the bloodshed, accusing the West of “double standards and bias”.
“It’s unacceptable to use the UN mechanisms for respecting human rights in the world to achieve immediate goals and interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign countries”, AFP quoted a Russian source as saying.The source said that focusing on the events in Syria in light of the tense situation in the region shows a policy of double standards and clear bias on the part of those calling for the Council to convene and their selective approach to events.
Issuing a carefully worded statement, the Russian foreign ministry also said its representative at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva had ""expressed deep concern over continuing confrontation in Syria which leads to human casualties."" He ""called on the Syrian authorities to conduct an efficient investigation of these incidents,"" it said.
Earlier on Friday, Russia voted against a U.S. draft resolution on Syria during a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on events in Syria.
Meanwhile, six more people have been killed in the southern city of Dara'a, with activists blaming security forces for the deaths.
According to Press TV, the fatalities were caused on Saturday in Dara'a -- which has turned into a center for so-called pro-reform rallies.
The incident came after dozens of people were killed across Syria as a result of violence during Friday demonstrations with Dara'a witnessing most of the deaths.
Hundreds of people have been killed in Syria since the start of the unrest. The government blames foreign backed armed groups for the killings.
(Source: Agencies)
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