Russian Official Says US and UK Lack Standing to Comment on Human Rights

A senior official of Russia's Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, has criticized the United States and Britain for commenting on the human rights situation, saying neither country has sufficient standing to make assessments on the issue, according to a Russian news agency.

The remarks came as Washington and London continue to weigh in on human rights in Russia. The Russian official stressed that these Western countries face human rights problems of their own and therefore have no basis for assessing or commenting on the situation in another country.

The message reflects Moscow's familiar stance: rejecting Western criticism on human rights and casting it as a tool for interfering in Russia's internal affairs. There has been no official response from the United States or Britain to the statement so far.