Lavrov Calls Muhammad Cartoons Unacceptable, Tasteless

Russia’s Foreign Minister said that freedom of expression carries with it certain duties and responsibilities to not incite people to religious hatred.

MOSCOW, January 21 (Sputnik) — Russia’s Foreign Minister said that terrorism as well as incitement to national, racial or religious hatred are unacceptable and called the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad tasteless.

"Terrorism is unacceptable in any form, regardless of its motives, forms and so on. This is the position of the international law; it is enshrined in numerous resolutions of the UN Security Council," Russian Foreign Minister said.

He also added that he personally does not like the cartoons and considers them tasteless.

Moreover, Russian Foreign Minister recalled the existing international law restrictions on the freedom of speech, saying that several conventions, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, consider “advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination” as a crime.

Sergey Lavrov also emphasized that there are certain duties and responsibilities which freedom of expression carries with it. Certain restrictions are directly related to the inadmissibility of statements inciting religious differences, Foreign Minister said.

On January 7, two gunmen stormed the Paris-based editorial office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, well-known for printing cartoons and controversial images, deriding Islam and other religions. During the attack, 12 people were killed and 11 injured.