Fight for rights a sign of maturity – Medvedev

The increasing number of complaints from citizens concerning the observance of their political rights is a positive sign, President Dmitry Medvedev believes.

“This means that society is growing up,” Medvedev said during a meeting with Human Rights Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin. “Participation in political life, including going to rallies, gives far more possibilities than just taking part in presidential or parliamentary elections… The main thing here is that both protesters and law enforcers act decently, in strict compliance with the law.” Lukin pointed out that all those who took part in mass rallies in Moscow acted “in a civilized manner”, and that none of the events led to disturbances like those in Greece. “This is to a large degree thanks to those who take political decisions and law enforcers who showed great professionalism,” Lukin commented. “Well, if only the media did not confuse Russia and Greece,” Medvedev said, hinting at a Fox News broadcast which used video footage of Athens riots while reporting on a Moscow rally after the December 4 parliamentary election.