“Long ago, the Council of Europe enthusiastically joined efforts to form the so-called pro-Western fifth column in Russia by artificially stimulating protest moods and activities in order to divide our society,” Vershinin said.

He added that the discourse on support for ‘civil society’, ‘independent media’ and ‘democratic forces’ was nothing more than ‘a smokescreen’ through which states and international structures tried to cover their real intentions.

“We can see how in the city of Strasbourg (France) the representatives of the so-called fugitive opposition mock their own country and want its defeat. Sponsored by Western money,” he added. “Russia will do everything possible to free Russian civil society from such “hypocritic guardianship.””

On March 15th, Russia announced its decision to officially withdraw from the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights and declared that it will continue to comply with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights if they are in accordance with the country’s Constitution.

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