Russia has rejected calls from the Council of Europe’s Commission against Racism and Intolerance to repeal the country’s controversial ban on the dissemination of information about “non-traditional” sexualities among minors. Speaking to TASS news agency, Ivan Soltanovsky, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, called the commission’s demand an “abuse of power,” noting that Moscow does not feel it should follow recommendations it gives on the treatment of sexual minorities. The Council of Europe is an organization of 47 European nations, including Russia. On Tuesday, it published a statement calling for Moscow to “abolish the legal ban on the provision of information about homosexuality to minors,” in line with a European Court of Human Rights ruling in 2017. The Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) “exceeded its authority in preparing the report,” Soltanovsky said.