MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. US sanctions against Russian individuals and research instituted are not seeking to protect human rights, they are targeting Russian science and the defense industry, the head of the State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky wrote on his Telegram channel in comments on Washington’s sanctions over Alexey Navalny.

"The American list of anti-Russian sanctions over the Navalny case was publicized several hours after the European one. Targeted restrictions of the European Union are partially repeated, but restrictions are also imposed, including export restrictions, against three Russian research institutes with the wording ‘for the production of biological and chemical agents," the parliamentarian said.

This, according to him, proves that the case of Navalny was only a pretext for the US administration. "Human rights protection has nothing to do with this. The aim is to curb the development of Russian science and the defense industry," he went on to say. "Apparently, among other things this is also a ‘worthy assessment’ of Russia’s success in the battle against coronavirus and the measures taken to enhance the country’s defense capability," he stated.

Russia "is a conscientious member of the global community and fulfils all its obligations under the UN Chemical Weapons Convention," while attempts to accuse Moscow of the opposite are "dishonest, hypocritical and cynical," he stressed. "I am sure that we will respond to all sanctions proportionately and adequately," Slutsky said.