Putin slams Spain's human rights record
Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry has issued a critical report damning Spain and all other 28 EU nations for their human rights breaches.
Gender-based violence, racism, police brutality and excessive force against prison inmates are the four main points raised by Russia in a 153-page human rights report published last week.
Translated into English by an unofficial source, four pages are dedicated to the human rights issues currently facing Spain, most of which have been linked to the country’s financial woes.
A significant amount of coverage is given to examples of police brutality, including the case of Ester Quintana, the Barcelona resident who lost an eye after a rubber bullet was fired at her during a street demonstration she wasn't taking part in.
Out of all other EU member states covered in the Report on the Human Rights Situation in the European Union, Russia’s Foreign Ministry directs most of its criticism towards Germany.
Click here to read the gallery of Spain's shocking new laws.
"Right-wing sentiments seem to be firmly rooted in modern German society and there are signs of an increasingly tolerant attitude towards the extreme right ideology," the report claims.
The abrasive study was published just days before an EU–Russia summit is due to be held in Brussels.
The EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton referred to the three-hour meeting scheduled for Tuesday as an "in-depth reflection" of current relations between the two superpowers.
The summit also comes only weeks before the Winter Olympics in the Russian city of Sochi.
The lead-up to the prestige event has, however, been marred by terrorist attacks and controversy over a new Russian law that makes providing information on homosexuality to people under 18 a crime.
UK government broadcaster BBC on Monday reported Sochi's mayor as saying gay people would be welcome at the sports fest as long as they respected Russian law.
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Gender-based violence, racism, police brutality and excessive force against prison inmates are the four main points raised by Russia in a 153-page human rights report published last week.
Translated into English by an unofficial source, four pages are dedicated to the human rights issues currently facing Spain, most of which have been linked to the country’s financial woes.
A significant amount of coverage is given to examples of police brutality, including the case of Ester Quintana, the Barcelona resident who lost an eye after a rubber bullet was fired at her during a street demonstration she wasn't taking part in.
Out of all other EU member states covered in the Report on the Human Rights Situation in the European Union, Russia’s Foreign Ministry directs most of its criticism towards Germany.
Click here to read the gallery of Spain's shocking new laws.
"Right-wing sentiments seem to be firmly rooted in modern German society and there are signs of an increasingly tolerant attitude towards the extreme right ideology," the report claims.
The abrasive study was published just days before an EU–Russia summit is due to be held in Brussels.
The EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton referred to the three-hour meeting scheduled for Tuesday as an "in-depth reflection" of current relations between the two superpowers.
The summit also comes only weeks before the Winter Olympics in the Russian city of Sochi.
The lead-up to the prestige event has, however, been marred by terrorist attacks and controversy over a new Russian law that makes providing information on homosexuality to people under 18 a crime.
UK government broadcaster BBC on Monday reported Sochi's mayor as saying gay people would be welcome at the sports fest as long as they respected Russian law.
Don't miss stories about Spain, join The Local on Facebook and Twitter.
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