"Plans to move the soldier's graves of various nationalities, who made the ultimate sacrifice to liberate Europe from Fascism, are cynical and blasphemous," Konstantin Kosachev, who is in charge of international affairs in the lower house of the Russian parliament and serves as PACE deputy speaker, said in an open statement.
He cited media reports of excessive and heavy handed use of force by the Estonian police and military against peaceful protesters who were trying to defend those who had crushed the Nazis.
"The Estonian police are not disclosing the whereabouts of those detained and in some cases denying them access to legal advice," he said.
"The Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly... does not have a right to ignore events ongoing in one of its member states," Kosachev said.
