The Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, has criticised Communist leaders for their recent anti-Semitic remarks and verbal attacks on journalists.

In a statement, President Yeltsin said the law would be used to prevent any attempt to insult or to limit the rights of people on the basis of their ethnic origins.

His statement comes after the lower house of parliament voted on Wednesday not to condemn a Communist deputy Albert Makashov for publicly suggesting that certain Jews should be rounded up and jailed.