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Moscow calls on Washington to stop persecuting Russian compatriots — statement

Maria Zakharova noted that the pressure on the Russians in the US, which includes "FBI ’interview’ summonings in combination of criminal prosecution threats, branding of the Russian Community Council as the ‘hand of Moscow’

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. Russia calls on the US Administration to stop the persecution of Russian compatriots, many of whom have American citizenship or residence permit while keeping their connection with the homeland, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement Thursday.

"We call on the Joe Biden’s administration to stop the persecution of Russian compatriots, many of whom have US citizenship or residence permit and simultaneously preserve their ties with their historic homeland, unwilling to assuming a hostile position - despite the propaganda dominant in the US at the moment," the diplomat noted.

She noted that the pressure on the Russians in the US, which includes "FBI ’interview’ summonings in combination of criminal prosecution threats, branding of the Russian Community Council as the ‘hand of Moscow’ can be compared to the Red Scare after 1917, when every Russian was under suspicion."

She noted that such discrimination, "which borders on blatant Russophobia, encouraged from the top, must be condemned and it contradicts US’ own declared tolerance and US laws that prohibit national hate."

Earlier on November 18, the Russian Community Center in the US announced the suspension of its operation due to US intelligence agencies’ investigation, which reportedly subjected at least 300 Russian compatriots, from students to the elderly, to FBI investigative measures. According to the Russian Community Center, some its members and representatives of the Russian community got involved in an investigation into violations of the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA).