MOSCOW, December 9 /TASS/. Washington uses double standards when it criticizes presidential candidate Donald Trump for his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States but considers glorification of Nazism to be manifestation of freedom of speech, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Italian media on Wednesday.
"As for Trump’s remarks about Muslims, of course, we cannot support any manifestations of discrimination along national, ethnic or religious lines," the Russian foreign minister said calling attention to what White House Spokesman Josh Earnest had said about Trump.
"He said that Trump, who had suggested banning Muslims from entering the United States, should immediately withdraw from the presidential race because the US constitution guarantees freedom of conscience," Lavrov stressed.
"I respect the institution of the United States but I would like to tell you about another example when US officials drew totally different conclusions from the text of their fundamental law. When the United States keeps voting against the UN General Assembly resolution banning the glorification of Nazism from year to year it also refers to its constitution saying that ‘it is freedom of speech’," Lavrov said.
"If we follow this kind of logic when they defend the right to freedom of conscience (which is absolutely right) but believe that it’s possible to justify glorification of Nazism as manifestation of freedom of speech, then double standards become clear. The 1965 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights clearly says that freedom of speech should not be used for propagating man-hating theories, insulting the feeling of god-believers and undermining the security of national state institutions," the Russian foreign minister told the Italian media.