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Moscow is rejecting a U.S. State Department report that criticizes Russia as a high profile example of countries that regressed on human rights and democracy in 2007. In its dismissal, the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry¹ adds that Moscow is open to a human rights dialogue with interested countries.

俄罗斯反驳美国国务院发表的人权报告，这份报告批评俄罗斯是2007年在人权和民主领域倒退的国家中的一个鲜明的例子。俄罗斯外交部在反驳声明中还说，莫斯科愿意就人权问题同感兴趣的国家展开对话。

In a statement published on its website late Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry rejects the annual U.S. State Department report as a standard set of objections raised in the tone of a mentor². The statement reiterates³ three of those objections - Russia's retreat from democratic principles, repression⁴ of dissidents, and restriction⁵ of free speech.

俄罗斯外交部星期三晚间在官方网站上发表声明，反驳美国国务院年度人权报告是以训教者的论调建立一套批评的标准。声明重申美国国务院报告中批评俄罗斯的3种情况，包括俄罗斯从民主的原则上倒退、镇压异议人士和对自由言论的控制。

The Foreign Ministry also says U.S. criticism is based on groundless accusations⁶ and biased⁷ sources, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. That organization said Russian parliamentary elections in December did not meet democratic standards.

俄罗斯外交部还说，美国的批评是建立在毫无根据的指责和有偏见的消息上的，这些消息的来源包括欧洲安全与合作组织。该组织说，俄罗斯12月份举行的议会选举没有达到民主标准。

Moscow says OSCE member states, which include Russia, never approved mandatory⁸ standards, and singles out the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) for allegedly politicizing the election monitoring process.

莫斯科说，欧洲安全与合作组织的成员国，包括俄罗斯，从来没有批准过强制性的标准。莫斯科特别指出，欧洲安全与合作组织的民主机制和人权办公室把选举监督的过程政治化。

ODIHR spokesman Jens Eschenbaecher told VOA the organization has monitored elections in the 56 OSCE member states for many years.

"We have a mandate⁹ from all participating states to observe elections before, during and after Election Day," he said. "We felt that [with] limitations imposed on us by the Russian authorities, we would not have been in a position to fulfill¹⁰ our mandate."

The ODIHR did not monitor Russia's December election, saying Moscow did not issue observer visas in a timely manner.

民主机制和人权办公室没有监督俄罗斯12月份的选举，该办公室说，俄罗斯没有及时向监督人员颁发签证。

The election resulted in a parliament that the U.S. State Department report says is compliant¹¹ to the government. The report also accuses Russian authorities of centralizing power in the executive branch, and also of selective law enforcement, harassment¹² of non-governmental organizations and corruption¹³.

美国国务院的报告说，那次选举选出的是一个服从政府的议会。报告还谴责俄罗斯当局把权力集中在行政机构的手中、选择性地执行法律、骚扰非政府组织以及腐败。

The Russian Foreign Ministry responds to State Department criticism in kind, accusing the United States of using the death sentence against minors¹⁴, legalizing torture, and committing human rights violations¹⁵ in Iraq and Afghanistan.

俄罗斯外交部以同样的方式进行回击，谴责美国对未成年人实施死刑、让酷刑合法化并在伊拉克和阿富汗侵犯人权。

Moscow also says it is open to a human rights dialogue with interested countries.

莫斯科还说，他们愿意同感兴趣的国家进行人权问题的对话。

Political analyst¹⁶ Masha Lipman of the Carnegie Moscow Center expressed skepticism about the offer.

卡内基莫斯科中心的政治分析人士利普曼对这项提议表示质疑。

"Russia is in no mood to compromise. Russia enjoys its new power and influence as a result of its growing economic power," said Lipman. "And Russia is making up for past humiliations after the collapse¹⁷ of the USSR. This is the mood of the nation; this is the mood of the leadership. This is what brings the leadership and public together - the sense that we were humiliated¹⁸, but no more."

她说：“俄罗斯不想妥协。俄罗斯享受因其经济实力的增加所带来的新的实力和影响。俄罗斯在洗刷前苏联瓦解之后所蒙受的屈辱。这是俄罗斯目前想做的，也是俄罗斯国家领导层目前想做的事情。这种情绪把国家领导层和公众联系到一起。意思就是，俄罗斯曾经蒙受屈辱，但是今后再也不会了。”

Lipman says unprecedented¹⁹ economic prosperity is another reason why a majority of Russians do not seek democratic accountability from their government.

"Putin has offered, I usually call it a non-participation pact²⁰, we the government deliver and you the people do not meddle²¹ in politics or policy-making," added Lipman. "And since the government fulfilled its part of the contract, the people fulfilled theirs.

Lipman says she does not expect gradual evolution toward greater Russian democracy without a crisis, such as the collapse in oil prices that underpin²² the country's current prosperity. She notes, however, that nobody knows how Russia will respond to any crisis in the absence of democratic institutions.

利普曼说，她不认为俄罗斯民主能够逐步进化而不会带来危机，一种可能的危机是，支持俄罗斯目前繁荣景象的石油价格猛烈下跌。利普曼指出，但是，没有人知道俄罗斯在缺乏民主机制的情况下如何应对任何危机。