ALWAGHT- Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded to reports of hundreds of prisoners being mobilized to fight fires in California, calling attention to the hypocrisy of the United States.
Earlier, The Washington Post, citing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, reported that 395 prisoners were sent by state authorities to fight forest fires in California. Most of these prisoners had committed minor offenses, according to the newspaper, as reported by TASS.
On her Telegram channel, Zakharova highlighted the US government's repeated criticism of China for allegedly using forced labor, particularly in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. She pointed out that in 2023, the US restricted imports from several Chinese companies to exclude goods believed to be produced using Uygur forced labor. She then raised the question, "Will Congress pass a bill imposing sanctions on California authorities, private companies, and ordinary Americans for using prison labor to fight fires?" Zakharova expressed frustration, saying, "We are so sick of this hypocrisy!"
Wildfires began spreading across Los Angeles County on January 7, fueled by dry and windy conditions. Nearly 180,000 residents were ordered to evacuate, and the fires have destroyed over 12,300 structures, with damage estimated in the tens of billions of dollars.