The US Capitol riot prosecutions are double standard for Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin is accusing the US of double standards for its treatment of the US Capitol rioters. According to him, it is wrong for the US to criticize the crackdowns for its anti-government protests overseas. Mr. Putin sets his expectations much low for his summit with Joe Biden in Geneva.

He didn’t expect any breakthroughs about their meeting on 16th June. He also denies the suggestions that the recent cyber-attacks in US companies have origin in Russia. Also, he rejects the claim that Moscow meddled in the American elections.

Mr. Putin managed to reserve some of his most popular criticism for the US condemnation regarding a crackdown. His criticisms are regarding the anti-government protests of Moscow’s regional ally, Belarus. He hit back by saying that the US Capitol rioters got the wrong treatment.

According to him, they were not just a crowd of rioters or robbers, “Those people had come with political demands.”

Earlier this week, Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, said that the US Government “persecuted” Capitol rioters. Some 500 suspects got arrested for this riot. Most of them got charged for entering or remaining in the restricted area. Many of them got a release during the pending trial. Some are in solitary confinement.

Mr. Putin has rebuked the west for their criticism of the Russian authority. Opposition protests across Russia suppressed with the crackdown. Riot police beat and dragged the protesters. Thousands of people got detained. The Russian leader also said to the business leaders that the protesters from Europe had faced a tougher response from the police. Some of them shot in the eye with “democratic rubber bullets.”

It is not much clear about his reference. But, several French demonstrators blinded by the rubber bullets during the yellow vest rallies.

The comment of the Russian leader came ahead of his first meeting with Biden on 16 June. According to him, there is also an extremely low level of relation improvement that will take place between the two nations.

According to Putin, Russia does not have any issue with the US, but the Us has some issues with them. He has also accused them of trying to stifle the economy of Russia and influencing its domestic politics. Mr. Putin also denied Russia’s secret role in the diversion of a plane to Minsk as ordered by order of the Belarusian leader last month.

Credits: BBC