Dutch-Russian accuses Democrats leader of discrimination

A half-Russian Tilburg man pressed discrimination charges against D66 leader Alexander Pechtold over is reaction to the affair around Foreign Affairs Minister Halbe Zijlstra lying about a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

"I appreciate his frankness. I still have to meet the first Russian who corrects his mistakes himself." Pechtold said in response to Zijlstra admitting that he did not in fact attend a meeting with Putin in 2006, like he said he did in various previous statements.

Website Geenstijl is in possession of the charges pressed against Pechtold. "Minister Halbe Zijlstra (VVD, Foreign Affairs) came into the news on Monday because he lied about a meeting with Putin. D66 leader Pechtold responded in the news by saying: 'I still have to meet the first Russian who corrects his mistakes himself.' I, son of a Russian mother, feel discriminated against", the declaration reads according to the site.

Zijlstra claims he lied about being at the meeting himself, because he wanted to protect the identity of his source who was at the meeting. The source - former Shell CEO Jeroen van der Veer - came forward himself to say that Zijlstra misinterpreted the information he gave the minister.

Zijlstra will face the Tweede Kamer in a debate on this matter on Tuesday afternoon.