Ferguson unrest shows US society is split, says Russia

Moscow, Dec 3 (IANS/TASS) The unrest in the US city of Ferguson is a serious signal that the American society is split, Russia's human rights ombudsman Konstantin Dolgov said Wednesday.

"What is happening in Ferguson and in a number of other US cities is an alarm bell," Dolgov said.

"This signals that the split in the American society and lines of tensions do not disappear but increase," he added.

The ombudsman said the issue of "racial discrimination" needs thorough consideration.

Last week, Ferguson and 100 other US cities were swept by a wave of protests against the grand jury decision to not indict a white police officer, Darren Wilson, who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager.

The death of the 18-year-old Michael Brown in early August sparked several weeks of riots in the St. Louis suburb and created racial tensions that have been building up for years.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich said last week that his country was closely following the events and would like to remind Washington of the need to strictly comply with its commitment to guarantee democratic standards and civil liberties.

--IANS/TASS

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