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Russian senator slams US position in Shiite-Sunnite conflict

"I am confident that if the escalation happens, it is only Iran and Syria who will remain among the perpetrators," - Head of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs said
Head of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Head of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, January 3. /TASS/. Head of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev has made a critical statement about the US position in the conflict between Shiites and Sunnites in the Middle East.

The senator published the statement on his facebook page where he called Washington stance "non-constrictive". His statement followed the US State Department reaction to the execution of 47 opponents by Saudi Arabia.

"While the EU via its Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini "yet dared to voice the "mantra about Saudi Arabia’s failure to comply with basic civil and political freedoms", Americans have remained true to themselves and their closest ally in the region," Kosachev said.

Namely, the head of the press service of the US Department of State, John Kirby urged the leaders of the Middle East to double their efforts aimed at de-escalation of the conflict.

"That means that on this stage everyone is to blame. I am confident that if the escalation happens, it is only Iran and Syria who will remain among the perpetrators, which is usually the case with Americans in their sustainable practice to divide any situation into concealing those who are loyal to them and demonizing those who are not loyal to them," - Kosachev said.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry announced the execution of 47 people accused of terrorism. One of them was Nimr al-Nimr, the preacher known as an advocate for equality and constitutional reforms, a fighter against discrimination of Shiite minority residing in the east of the kingdom.

The preacher was arrested on July 8, 2012 on charges of inciting mass protests and riots. In October 2014, the Saudi court sentenced him to death.

On the night from Saturday to Sunday in the Iranian capital of Tehran, a group of protesters against the execution of al-Nimr penetrated into the territory of Saudi Arabia’s Embassy. The police managed to force them to leave the territory without using force and detained 40 protesters.