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Political fight should be legal, extremism should be stopped categorically - Putin

Тhe president stressed that the state should guarantee rights and freedoms for all citizens

MOSCOW, February 8 (Itar-Tass) – Political fight should be organised in the framework of the law, but extremism should be stopped categorically, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said on Friday during a collegium meeting at the Interior Ministry.

“I require from you most categorical suppression of extremism organisations, immediate reaction to any extremism be it coming from fans, nationalistic or radical opposing groups,” he told the meeting participants.

Putin said that Russia “has been forming gradually conditions for active political activities.”

“Honest political competition is an attribute of the country and society’s development, but political fighting, public discussions may be only in the framework of the legislation and the Constitution, without breaching those, without undermining the bases of the state and society,” the president said.

The president stressed that the state should guarantee rights and freedoms for all citizens.

“Thus, I am repeating – not a single act extremism should escape punishment,” Putin said.

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