Moscow expects US to guarantee rights of other countries' citizens

Moscow expected the U.S. to guarantee the rights of Russian citizens during operations against terrorism, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. "We hope (the U.S.) will guarantee non-violation of the rights of Russian citizens and other countries' nationals during anti-terrorist operations," the ministry's envoy for human rights, democracy, and supremacy of law Konstantin Dolgov told reporters. He said the topic had been constantly raised during bilateral contacts. The leaks by former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed Washington used its legislation exterritorially, harming citizens of many countries, including Russians, Dolgov said. As an active user of iPhone and iPad, the diplomat said he would not be happy the U.S. secret services tap his communications. "The fight against terror should not damage human rights," Dolgov said. Meanwhile, if the U.S. imposed sanctions against Moscow for alleged human rights violations, Moscow would retaliate, Dolgov warned. "The measures will be not necessarily similar but adequate," the diplomat said. Dolgov assessed a U.S. human rights report as "biased, one-sided, groundless from the international legal point of view." The U.S. Department of State has published the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, in which Washington slammed Moscow for its handling of human trafficking.