Press release on UK ambassador to Russia Deborah Bronnert being summoned to the Foreign Ministry

On April 18, UK Ambassador to Russia Deborah Bronnert was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, where she was delivered a strong protest in response to her overtly inappropriate remarks and other provocative statements made by UK Foreign Ministry leaders after the Moscow City Court sentenced Russian Federation citizen Vladimir Kara-Murza on charges of high treason and spreading  fakes about the Russian army.

It was pointed out to Deborah Bronnert that calls by foreign diplomats to annul the verdict of the Russian court was regarded as gross interference in the internal affairs of Russia. It was emphasised that such disrespectful behaviour indicated London’s clear violation of the fundamental principles of diplomatic communication enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and is at variance with the status of the British diplomatic mission in Moscow.

Ms Bonnert was reminded that according to the Federal Law No. 62-FZ On Citizenship of the Russian Federation of May 31, 2002, a citizen of the Russian Federation who is also a citizen of another country is considered by the Russian Federation as only a citizen of the Russian Federation, except in cases provided for by international treaties of the Russian Federation, or by federal law. There is no corresponding agreement between Russia and the UK, thus the references made by the British to Vladimir Kara-Murza’s British citizenship are null and void under Russian law.

It was also emphasised that the attempts by British officials to lecture Russia on human rights issues are considered absolutely unacceptable, especially since London’s cynical and dismissive attitude towards the human rights dossier is well known to the world community.