MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. Russia urges a stop to persecution and discrimination against compatriots in the United States, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a commentary in connection with the charges brought against the head of the Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots, Elena Branson.

"We demand putting an end at once to the persecution of Russian compatriots in the United States in everyday life on account of nationality, culture and language," the commentary says.

Zakharova recalled that on March 8 the US Department of Justice accused Elena Branson, the head of the Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots abroad, of illegal activity in the capacity of a foreign agent on US territory.

"It should be remembered that the US authorities had begun to drive Russian compatriots out of the country on far-fetched pretexts back in 2020 and this pressure has continued to this day. This has already caused forced a suspension of CCRC activities and the departure of a number of activists of the Russian movement of compatriots to Russia," she said.

Zakharova stressed that the organizations of compatriots constituted a community of Russia-born members sharing a common cultural background and the wish to support their mother tongue, traditions, history and Russian culture and at the same time be full-fledged members of the host country.

"Compatriots do not act as agents or proxies or in some other capacity under the guidance or control of the Russian state. Likewise, they do not indulge in political, lobbying or other activities mentioned in the US law on foreign agents capable of influencing the US government in that concerns the shaping or changing US policies," she added.

Zakharova stressed that the CCRC was focused on humanitarian activities, including the preservation of Russian culture and language, and what is very important, historical memory of World War II, common with the Americans.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the US authorities have in fact outlawed people who represent Russian culture and everything Russian on the American continent.

"Russophobia is soaring to record-highs. What is still worse, it is being formalized and taking legal shape. The US authorities should be aware that such actions will inevitably cause still greater harm to the US reputation in Russian society," Zakharova said.