The US and the UK are currently engaging in the illegal war propaganda prohibited by the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
Writing on her Telegram channel, Zakharova accused the West of breaking the treaty, signed in New York in 1966, which mandates sanctions against countries inciting war and hatred.
“What the US and Britain are doing now is classic propaganda of war. It is prohibited by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI) on December 16, 1966. The first paragraph of the 20th article of this document states, ‘All propaganda of war must be prohibited by law’,” she cited the document.
Zakharova points out that the US assuming obligations under the Covenant claimed that the article does not require any legislative action or other measures that would restrict the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the US.
The UK said almost the same stating that it interprets the article in accordance with the rights granted by articles 19 and 21 of the Covenant and, having adopted legislation on issues of practical importance in the interests of public order, reserves the right not to introduce any additional legislation.
However, Article 19 says, “everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression”, which though may be subject to certain restrictions if such are necessary “for the protection of national security or of public order.”
Zakharova continued, recalling that the Pact was adopted at the height of the Cold War and at that time, according to her, its tasks included not only protecting human rights but also leading humanity away from the abyss “to which the military rhetoric of NATO countries pushed it in those years.”
“The Soviet Union (and later the Russian Federation) and dozens of other states around the world, realizing the supreme danger that war propaganda can pose, voluntarily abandon this threatening practice. But neither Washington nor London deprive themselves of the opportunity to put a match to a haystack,” she stated.
Zakharova explained that now there is a “pure propaganda of war” taking place, as aggressive rhetoric covers the supply of weapons to Ukraine, the deployment of military instructors there, the conduct of NATO military exercises near the Russian borders and the creation of offensive combined arms infrastructure of Western states.
“The United States and Great Britain took out of their stashes a tool that they had kept for a good half-century. And now they are brandishing it like a baton, supporting controlled hysteria through the media holdings of CNN, Bloomberg, British tabloids, influencing public opinion in their countries,” the Spokeswoman said, adding that now “everything is ready for Washington’s hand to press the ‘Reset’ button invented by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.”
Ru-Main, 15.02.2022
Source: RT
