The Liberal Initiative proposed on Monday to the parliament to express a “strong protest” against the statement of the Russian embassy in Lisbon about the concert of Pedro Abruñosa, considering it “an unacceptable infringement on freedom of speech.”
In a draft vote submitted to the Assembly of the Republic, the Liberal Initiative (IL) parliamentary group is responding to a “intimidating statement” released by the Russian embassy last Wednesday, in which the Russian representation stated that “no shameful provocations” against Russian citizens “remain unanswered.” ”after Pedro Abruños condemned the war in Ukraine during a concert in Agueda.
According to the IL deputies, “the statements of the Russian embassy are not only an unacceptable attack on freedom of speech in Portugal, but also a form of intimidation that has no limits either in Portuguese public freedoms or in the course of diplomatic relations between countries, especially when it comes to peaceful protest that did not jeopardize anyone’s freedom and integrity.”
“Portuguese citizens will always have the right to the political protests they want, whether they are about domestic or foreign policy, without fear of reprisals, intimidation or hidden threats,” he said.
The IL Parliamentary Group proposes that the Assembly of the Republic express “the strongest possible protest against the communiqué of the Embassy of the Russian Federation of July 20, which threatens freedom of speech in Portugal and adopts an unacceptable intimidating tone against the Portuguese citizen, reaffirming its commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of the Portuguese.”
During a concert in Águeda on July 2, fully available on the Youtube platform, Pedro Abruños spoke about the war in Ukraine before starting to sing the theme “Maybe Foder” in which he touches on issues such as war, famine and fascism. .
“We cannot and will not forget that Europe is at war. This is the most stupid war of all, which can be easily avoided, a war of hatred, a war from which families like ours are forced to flee every day,” he said. height.
The musician recalled that “there are those who do not run away, and on an island in Ukraine, a sailor answered the call of a Russian boat with the words: “Russian boat, fuck you,” which is the same as saying “Russian boat.” ..”, which is like saying “Fuck you Vladimir Putin”.
“This cry must be heard today in Moscow and Kyiv,” he said.
The Russian Embassy in Lisbon published last Wednesday on its website a “comment” motivated by “unacceptable statements by singer Pedro Abruños.”
The Russian representative office reports that it “received letters from angry Russian compatriots who claim to be shocked by the behavior of one of the famous Portuguese singers, Pedro Abruños.”
“During a concert at the Agitageda-2022 festival, I allowed myself to say a few rude and unacceptable things about the citizens of the Russian Federation, as well as its top leaders. At the end, they expressed the wish that his words be heard in Moscow, ”the embassy said in a statement.
The Russian Embassy said in a statement that the words of the Portuguese musician, “an unworthy cultural figure representing a country that openly opposes any kind of hatred and discrimination, have been heard” and that “appropriate conclusions will be drawn.”
“The Russian Embassy continues to look after the interests of Russian citizens living in Portugal, and no unseemly provocations against them will go unanswered,” the message says.
On Friday, the Foreign Office rejected the “tone and content” of the statement in question and defended freedom of speech as “inalienable.”
“The embassy of the Russian Federation through diplomatic channels was refuted by the tone and content of the embassy’s communiqué regarding the concert of the musician Pedro Abruños,” an official source at the Foreign Ministry told Lusa.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
