UN General Assembly suspends Russia from Human Rights Council for Ukraine abuses
WASHINGTON (AA) – The UN General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council (HRC) after evidence emerged of apparent mass atrocities carried out by Moscow’s forces.
The 93-24 vote saw 58 members states abstain. A member can be removed from the HRC following a two-thirds vote from the assembly if a state has engaged in a pattern of gross and systemic abuses.
Abstentions did not count toward the total in the 193-member chamber.
Ukraine’s UN envoy made an emotional appeal before the vote for Russia’s removal, saying the “rare and extra-ordinary action” was undoubtedly warranted because Russia’s actions in Ukraine “are beyond the pale.”
“Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security,” said Sergiy Kyslytsya.
“All you need to do is to press the yes button to save the Human Rights Council, and many lives around the world and in Ukraine. On the other hand, pressing no means pulling a trigger,” he charged.
“This image of the red-blooded dots on the screen will stay with you and all of us as long as memory does not fail us.”
He was referring to the visual tally of votes displayed in the assembly hall. ‘No’ votes are displayed in red.
The vote comes in the wake of damning visuals emerging from areas of Ukraine formerly occupied by Russian forces, particularly in Bucha, which lies just outside of the national capital of Kyiv.
The images appear to depict mass atrocities committed against civilians with some appearing to have been shot in the head with their hands bound while others were seen partially buried in mass graves. Still, some corpses were left to rot in the streets or were badly burned in an apparent attempt at a cover-up.
Ukrainian authorities alleged April 1 that Russian forces killed more than 300 civilians in Bucha, accusing the Kremlin of pursuing a policy of “genocide” against Ukrainians.
Russia has rejected the allegations as a “fake news attack,” arguing that the images that have drawn global outrage were staged by Ukraine.
Gennady Kuzmin, a Russian diplomat at the UN, reiterated the denial in the General Assembly Hall, saying, “We reject the untruthful allegations against us based on staged events and widely circulated fakes.”
He further urged member states “to really consider your decision,” and vote against the ultimately-successful resolution.
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